The Life of Charles: A Huniepop Story
by Kunnaki
Summary: A young guy named Charles has never really had luck with women before. But with the help of a magical fairy named Kyu, maybe that will all change! Can Charles find the right woman to spend his life with? Or is he doomed to live alone for all eternity? Join him on his dramatical and comical fun-filled ride through life, which is called Huniepop!
1. The Beginning

Been a long while since I wrote a story. Maybe a couple of years now? I forget. In any case, I decided to start again. And what better choice for a story than a popular game called Huniepop? After reading some of the stories on here and being thoroughly impressed with them, I figured, 'What the heck? I'll make my own!' So anyway, here's the first chapter of my hopefully awesome tale. Hope you enjoy it!

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 **Saturday, Bar and Lounge**

I sighed as a cupped the cold glass of whiskey I was currently drinking in the local bar. It was a Saturday night, and I was supposed to be out somewhere having a good time. I mean, that's what normal guys do, right? They go out to places on weekends, like clubs or something in hopes of finding a girl so that they can get lucky. Unfortunately, I didn't have the best luck when it came to women. I mean, I could talk to them, but our 'talks' would never go any further than that. I just lacked the one crucial thing all guys needed to meet a girl. What that thing was, however, I didn't.

Oh right. Before I forget, let me introduce myself. My name is Charles Joseph Harrison. My friends call me C.J. since it's a lot easier than just deciding whether to call me Charles or Joseph. I don't really mind much. I actually quite like it. Not many people have a name that consists of fewer than three letters. Anyway, I'm currently a student at the local university. I'm taking a couple of English classes, because I someday want to become a writer. I don't know what I write about, but I'm sure I'll find something. The world is a huge place, after all. There are tons of stories out there just waiting to be discovered by somebody, right?

Anyway, as I previously stated, I was sitting by my lonesome enjoying the ice-cold whiskey in my glass in the bar. I had been coming here for the past few nights just to drown my sorrows. I heard a couple chatting to themselves, laughing and enjoying each others company. I sighed as I looked at my reflection in my drink, because I quickly downed it in one gulp. Life could be so unfair at times. I was at the prime of my life when I was suppose to have a woman or something, but as previously stated, my luck with women was just like my drink: nonexistent.

I always hated whenever my friends talked about their "successes" with women. It annoyed the heck out of me, because I could never relate. I, unfortunately, was still a virgin. I never knew the touch of a woman. Hell, I never even had the pleasure of taking a girl out on a date! Although I always played it off in front of my friends, it really annoyed me. Why can't I ever end up getting lucky like them?! Why?!

I sighed once more as I raised my hand, signaling the barkeep for a refill. He simply nodded as he refilled my glass to the brim. I took the glass in my hand, and was prepared to down it once more.

"Hey you!" someone called out, startling me. I turned around, and my eyes grew big. A young and cute brunette wearing a short red dress with green eyes was speaking to me. …Or was she? I discreetly looked around, but there was no one sitting next to me. Whenever I came to the bar, I always tried to get a sit next to the barkeep, but I always tried to sit alone, since I wasn't really much of a social person. …Huh, now that I think of it, maybe that's why I could never get a girlfriend. Because I didn't like talking to people.

"Umm…" I muttered out as I looked at the girl before me. "Are you… talking to me?" I asked. I know it was a dumb thing to say, but I just wanted to make sure she was actually speaking to me. I've made a fool of myself before by speaking to people when I thought they were speaking to me when they really weren't, so I just wanted some confirmation.

"Well of course I'm speaking to you." She said, rolling her eyes at the question. "There's no one else here, except the barkeep. And I'm sure as hell not talking to him!"

"Oh, uhh, r-right." I mumbled, as I idly scratched the back of my head, embarrassed. I took a deep breathe to steady myself. This always happened when I became nervous.

"Riigghhhtt…" The girl said, cocking an eye at me.

"Sorry, I just don't… speak to a lot of girls." I said. It was the truth, really. I never had the gall to actually speak to a girl straight up. If I did, the conversation only lasted for a moment before it ended. I said what I had to said, and let the chips fall where they fall. That's how it was for a guy who wasn't used to speaking to people. You get used to it, after a while.

"Well you're talking to one now, champ." The girl said, smiling. "Lucky you, huh?" She laughed, and took a sit near me, surprising me. I never really had a girl sit so close to me before. Of course, in class, I usually sat near a girl, but we never spoke or anything. Besides, I was in class, a place for learning. My mind wasn't on girls, at the moment.

"My name is Kyu; nice to meet you." The girl known as Kyu said, introducing herself. I cocked an eyebrow at her strange name.

"Kyu?" I repeated. "You mean, like the letter 'Q'?" I asked, and I immediately regretted it.

"No, not like that at all." Kyu answered, frowning.

"Oh, right." I said, embarrassed at myself. "S-sorry."

" _Damn it, why did I say that?!"_ I thought, mentally slapping myself. _"Stupid, stupid, stupid!"_ You have to remember, I have no social skills whatsoever when it comes to girls.

"Riigghhhtt…" The girl said, again cocking an eyebrow at me. "Look buddy, are you going to be alright? It looks like you're having trouble holding it together."

"Huh?!" I exclaimed, shocked. "Uhh… no. I just, I mean, I just…" I stammered out, trying to think of excuse.

"You just, you just…" The girl repeated. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

I sighed, quickly downing my drink. This always happened when I was around girls. I always wound up making a fool of myself, in one way or another.

"You're right." I said, upset. I stood up and placed some money on the counter for the barkeep to take.

"I'll just go." I turned around on my heel, and prepared to walk out the door. …Or I would have if someone hadn't grabbed my wrist, jerking me back. I turned around, and looked as it was Kyu.

"Yeah, you could leave." She said, her face hiding a smirk. "…Or you could sit back down, and stop being so weird about it." She pulled me back to my sit and sat me down. I blinked, not really knowing what to think of say.

"Sheesh, one would think you've never spoken to a girl from the way you act." Kyu stated. She had no idea how right she was. As I sat there, I could feel Kyu's eyes on me, studying me, as if I were a foreign object. I looked at her, cocking an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked, a bit nervous from being stared at. That was one of my pet peeves. I hated being stared at, for whatever reason. It always made me nervous, like people were judging me or something.

"Hmm, wait, you know what? This could actually work…" Kyu said, speaking to no one in particular.

"Huh? What will work?" I questioned. Apparently, my question fell on deaf ears, as Kyu was off in her own little world.

"Oh yeah! This is great! This will definitely work!" Kyu yelled out, attracting the attention of some of the other customers. I flinched and ducked my head down, hoping they wouldn't see me. What was with this woman?!

"Kyu, please keep your voice down!" I said, afraid someone may come over here. However, if Kyu had heard me, she wasn't listening.

"Oh yeah! Today is your lucky day, pal!" Kyu said, taking my hands. I blushed and looked as her hands were now covering mine. Aside my mom, I never really held hands with a girl before. It was a new experience. I felt how soft her hands were in mine, and I had to stop myself from smiling. But then I realized what was going on, and shook my head.

"Huh? My lucky day?" I repeated, not understanding what this strange woman was saying.

"Yup!" Kyu answered, happily. "Listen, I've got to get going. But trust me, you and I will definitely see each other again, K?"

"Uhhh… okay?" I answered, still not really understanding.

"Great! See you later!" Kyu said, she as stood up. "Niiight!" And with that, the strange woman known as Kyu was gone as mysteriously as she had appeared. As I watched her walk out of the door of the bar, only one question came to my mind at this present moment.

" _What the heck just happened?"_

 **Sunday, Bedroom**

After that whole affair at bar, I headed back home to my apartment to get some sleep. After I graduated from college, I decided to get myself an apartment, since I didn't want to stay with my parents. My father felt that I should have gotten a dorm instead of apartment to get, what he says, "the full college experience". But I felt an apartment would suit my needs more since I wasn't really in the interest of having a roommate.

After a short dinner, I headed off to bed. I didn't have any prior engagements, so I was free to sleep in all day, which is exactly what I planned on doing. Or so I thought…

"Hey you!" Someone said. "Rise and shine! We've got work to do!" I could have sworn I heard someone talking to me, but thinking it was just a dream, I ignored it. Unfortunately, the voice spoke again, and this time, in a louder and more irritated voice.

"I said, get up!" The voice shouted. I groaned, as I turned around in bed, ignoring the voice. It was a Sunday, for Pete's sake! Today was supposed to be a day of rest, not work. And that's exactly what I was going to do: rest!

"Okay, you asked for this!" The voice shouted. At the moment, I felt the covers keeping me warm and secure pulled off of me.

"Ahhh!" I yelled, sitting up as the cold air hit me. I liked leaving the A/C on when I go to bed at night since it gets really hot. But I sure as hell pay for it in the morning whenever I get up, and my feet touch the wooden floor. I glared at the person, until I got a good look at them, and my eyes grew wide in shock.

"About time you woke up." The strange person said, her hands on her hips. "If the pulling the sheets off you didn't work, I was afraid I was going to have to resort to dumping water on you. And I think we can both agree we didn't want that to happen."

I wasn't listening to a word the person was saying, since I was still too in shock to hear anything. This person was a female with a slender physique and curvy hips. Her chest was okay, but nothing to scream about. Her hair was pink and in ponytails with some sort of antennae attached to it. Her eyes were green, and for some reason looked strangely familiar. But what really got my attention about this woman was the fact that she had two large wings on her back.

"Huh? What's wrong?" The woman asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Is there something on my face?"

"Ahhh!" I screamed outloud, scaring the crap out of the woman. "Cosplay pervert!"

"Pervert?!" The woman repeated, upset. "I'm not a pervert! I…" The woman stopped and put her finger to her chin and looked upward, as if she was thinking. "Well… I guess I am kind of a pervert, so… I can't say anything about that." She said, smiling.

"Who are you?!" I yelled, still scared out of my wits. For one thing, I didn't know who or what this woman was, so you can imagine how I feel right now. And also, there was the fact that she had a freakin' pair of wings on her back!

"What do you mean, 'who am I'?" she repeated. She pointed to her face, smiling. "You mean you forgot about this adorable face? We did meet just last night, ya' know."

"Last night?" I repeated. Now my memory may not exactly be the greatest, but I think I'd remember if I ever met someone like her, even if wasn't the night before! Besides, the only person I met last night was that strange woman, Kyu. And this person couldn't possibly be her! But as I thought those things, I took a good long look at her face, especially around her eyes. As I stared at her, my eyes grew big and wide.

"Kyu?!" I exclaimed, shocked.

"Bingo!" Kyu answered, laughing.

"But… you can't be Kyu!" I explained. "She had brown hair, and, you know, not wings."

"Clever disguise, right?" She said, laughing. "I can change my hair any color I want. It's pretty sweet. And hiding my wings is no big thing. Just a little magic, and whola!"

I sat there on my bed, blinking, not believing any of this. For lack of anything else to do, I pinched myself on the arm.

"Ow."

"Umm, what are you doing?" Kyu asked, staring at me.

"Nothing." I answered. "Just making sure that this isn't some sort of dream or something."

"Riighttt." Kyu said, before shrugging it off. "Anyway, in case you haven't noticed by now, I'm a fairy."

"A fairy?" I repeated.

"Well, to be exact, a _love_ fairy." Kyu corrected.

"Yeaahhh." I said, not believing it. "I hate to burst your bubble there, but fairies aren't real. They're just fairy tale creatures you find in story books."

"Common misconception." Kyu said. "I assure you, fairies are real, and we do exist outside of story books, ya' know. We just play along with that rumor, even though we really don't have too."

"Riightt." I said. I still didn't fully understand, but I wasn't really in the mood for an explanation.

"Anyway, as a love fairy, it's basically my job to help poor sods like you out with the ladies." Kyu explained. "I don't like to brag, but… well, okay, I do like to brag, but not the point. The point is all of my previous clients are basically walking babe magnets. You though…" Kyu said, chuckling.

"Well, let's just say you will be my greatest accomplishment yet." I found myself frowning at that.

" _That last part really wasn't needed."_ I thought, upset. I'll admit, I'm not the most popular guy around. Maybe not even the most good looking. But I know for a fact there are plenty of guys out there who have it far worse than I do.

"Yeaahhh, thanks for the offer, Kyu, but I'll pass." I said, walking away.

"What?!" Kyu exclaimed. "Why?! What's wrong?"

"Two reasons." I said, stopping to look back at her. "One: I'm still having trouble accepting the whole 'fairies are real' thing. It seems a little too far-fetched, if you ask me."

"Ugh, are you still hung up on that?" Kyu complained, following me as I walked downstairs to my kitchen.

"Yes, I am still hung up on it." I said, upset. "Having a fairy, a creature straight out of legend, appear in your bedroom kinda ruins everything you know about reality and fantasy." I explained. "And two: I know I'm not the best guy around, okay? I know there are guys out there who are faster, stronger, smarter, and better-looking than me."

"But I know doggone well that I'm not the worst guy there is. And for you to call me your 'greatest accomplishment', that really hurts." I said, walking off to get some coffee. I didn't hear anything else after that, and I almost thought that Kyu had left, which would have been fine with me. She had a really bad habit of making a person feel bad, even if she wasn't trying to.

After pouring myself some coffee, I sat down at my kitchen table and quietly drank from my mug, trying to calm my nerves and stress. I looked around and saw no sign of the fairy that had been bugging me for the past ten minutes. I sighed, thinking I may have chased her away for good.

"Look," Kyu said, as she suddenly appeared in the chair across from me at the table, startling me. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded, alright?" She said, no longer acting like her usual self. "I'm not here to hurt your feelings or make you feel bad. Trust me, all of my previous clients were once like you. They thought that they would be alone for the rest of their lives, and no one would even pass them so much as a second glance." She explained.

"But that's why I'm here!" she exclaimed. "I'm not here to put you down or anything like that. I'm just here to help you feel better about yourself, you know?" she said, as she looked at me with a serious look, before looking back down at the table. "But that doesn't excuse what I said upstairs. I'm sorry." I looked at her, a bit surprised, since I didn't think someone like her would ever apologize. I sighed as I awkwardly scratched the back of my head.

" _Great, now she's got me feeling bad."_ I thought. "Its fine, Kyu." I said. "I guess I didn't help by losing my temper like I did. My bad."

"It's fine." Kyu said, smiling, as she put her hand out. "We cool?" I looked at her hand for a brief second before smiling and taking.

"Cool." I said.

"Great!" Kyu said, before pulling me out of the chair, startling me. "Now that the moody, sappy feelings are over and done with, let's get back to work, shall we?" She said, her usual smile plastered on her face. "So tell me, how many dates have you been on?"

" _Oh hell."_ I thought. I hated when people asked me this question, because the answer was a lot more embarrassing than you'd think.

"Well, I've been on…, ya know, an amount." I said, laughing nervously.

"Oh my gosh. It's worse than I thought, isn't it?" Kyu asked. I nodded, embarrassed. "Okay then, grab your shit and let's roll." I looked at her, confused.

"Roll? What do you mean?"

"We're going on a date!" Kyu answered.

"Wait, you mean, right now?!" I asked, shocked.

"Yes, right now!" Kyu said. "No time like the present." I watched as she headed for the door to my apartment.

"But…is there even a place that's open this late?" I asked.

"Of course. The nightclubs around here are always open. But I figure we better start off small, for now."

"So, where are we going?" I asked, as I pulled on my jacket and locked the door to my apartment.

"There's a lounge near her that's open pretty late. It's meant for those cute sappy couples that like to parade their love around in the open." Kyu answered. "You'll like it. …Or not, I don't really care."

"Gee, thanks." I said, sarcastically. As I followed the strange fairy down the street, I had to wonder just what I was getting myself into…

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So, that's the first chapter. Sorry if it wasn't anything great. But if it makes you feel better, I'm already in the process of writing the second chapter, and maybe that one will be even better. Feel free to leave reviews if you want. Until next time!


	2. A Day on Campus

Well, here's Chapter two. Truth be told, I was already done with Chapter One when I began writing Chapter Two. I just like to make sure the chapter looks and sounds good, before I post it. Anyway, this chapter is longer than the first one. Hopefully, that means its better. Hope you enjoy!

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"So, what did you think of your first date?" Kyu asked. We had just left the lounge after an hour or so, and were heading back home.

"It was… really helpful, Kyu." I said. Honestly, I don't know if you could call what we did a date. All Kyu did was show me the ropes of dating, and what I should or shouldn't do on a date. Some of it was fairly obvious, too. But I sure as hell wasn't telling her that. I'd never hear the end of it if I did.

 **Monday, Bedroom- Morning**

That date with Kyu took a lot longer than either of us had originally anticipated. By the time we got back, it was already morning. Which meant that, because of her, I had missed a good night's sleep, which practically guaranteed I was going to be falling asleep in class later on. Luckily, since I was in university I got to decide what time I wanted my classes. Don't ask me why I chose to have them all in the morning. It was a stupid error on my part. On the upside, classes only lasted until the afternoon, so if I was lucky, maybe I'd be able to survive until then.

After a nice, hot shower and a short, but delicious breakfast, I grabbed my bags and headed out the door.

"Hey, where you going?" Kyu asked, as I was walking out the door.

"I'm heading to the campus center. I have classes today." I explained.

"Great! I'll come with." Kyu said, as she hopped out of the chair she was sitting on in the living room.

"Wait, what?! Why?" I asked, shocked. What possible reason could she have to come with me to the campus?

"Well, duh!" Kyu said, as if the answer was obvious. "Don't you know? Schools are one of the best places to pick up broads." I felt myself frowning at my fairy company, not only for her reason for coming with me, but also at her choice of words. I held women in a very high standard, and it always annoyed when my friends called them things, like: 'broads, hotties, chicks, dames, etc. And those were only the nice things. I don't even want to get into the worst things they had to say about them.

"Kyu look," I said, as I began to explain. "I know I agreed to let you help become more… acceptable towards women, but there's a time and a place for everything. Class time is not the time. I'm going to university because I want to be a good writer when I go up. I take both my courses and my grades very seriously, okay?" I had hoped I had gotten through to her, because we were going to have a serious problem if I didn't.

"That's all well and good, dude." Kyu said, and I was dreading what was coming next. "But like the saying goes, 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy'. And in your case, that is definitely true." I opened my mouth to retort, but instead, I simply shook my head, and sighed as I walked out the door. Not surprising, Kyu followed right beside me.

 **Monday, University Campus**

We were only a few minutes away from the campus. I, unfortunately, didn't own a car yet, despite having a license, so I was forced to walk to and from the campus. I didn't really mine. Its not like the campus was far away, and it was good exercise. As we neared the campus, I suddenly became aware of something, and looked back at Kyu.

"What is it?" Kyu asked.

"Is it really a good idea for you to be out here?" I asked, worried.

"What do you mean?" She asked, confused.

"You're a freakin fairy!" I exclaimed. "What's gonna happen when people see you? They're probably going to call the police, or the army, and they're gonna experiment on you, and do other stuff…" I was cut off when I heard Kyu laughing her head off.

"Dude, relax!" Kyu said, still laughing. "People can't see or hear me. I'm just a figment of your overactive imagination."

"Wait, really?" I asked, shocked. That would explain a lot, actually. If that was true, I wonder if this is a sign that I'm slowly going insane…

"Nah, I'm kidding." Kyu said, chuckling. "I'm crazy real. I just hid myself from everyone so I can give you advice on the side."

"Oh." I said, and that was pretty much all I could say about. " _So she was kidding about the figment of imagination thing_." Truthfully, I didn't know where to be happy or sad about that. "Let me guess, more of your fairy magic?" I asked.

"You know it!" Kyu said, happily. Rolling my eyes, I continued on to the campus. After a minute or two, Kyu and I finally arrived. Not many people had arrived yet, considering it was still hurry. I wasn't in the mood to head straight to my class, so I decided to relax a bit. I closed my eyes, feeling the wind hit my body. It was a good feeling and moment, despite Kyu's whining about being bored.

"Woah, look at that!" Kyu exclaimed. I opened my eyes and followed where she was pointing. I looked as I saw a slender looking girl with blue eyes and long blonde hair in ponytails that went all the way down to her hips. She was wearing the school uniform, which consisted of: a red and white plaid skirt, a matching button up top, some thigh-high stockings and a pair of black shoes.

"Is that chick serious?" Kyu asked, talking to no one in particular.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean, that school girl outfit is kind of on the nose, don't you think?" Kyu asked, making me look back at the girl. I hated to admit, but Kyu did have a point this time. "But hey, she's a blonde, so… bonus points!" she exclaimed, making me frown.

"Don't talk about her like that." I said, upset.

"What? Why? You know her?" Kyu asked.

"Of course I know her." I said, rolling my eyes. "Practically everybody on campus knows her. That's Tiffany Maye, one of the smartest girls on the entire campus. Plus, she's also the head cheerleader for our college football team." I explained.

"Wow, you know a lot about her." Kyu said, surprised. "Have you ever talked to her?"

"No, I haven't. We just have one or two classes together. Also, I don't know anything about her. All of what I said is just common knowledge." Honestly, that wasn't entirely true. I didn't even know about her being head cheerleader until I went to a pep rally the school was hosting in preparation for a big game against a rival school. I saw her dancing, and it was only by chance I heard some of the other students mention that she was the head cheerleader.

"Well, if you don't know her, now's your chance, champ!" Kyu said. "Go talk to her!"

"Kyu, I told you earlier, class time is not one of…" I began until Kyu cut me off.

"You're not in class yet, so you can't use that excuse." She said, frowning. "Also, there's something you need to know, pal." I looked as Kyu suddenly became serious. "It's fine to have goals and aspirations you want to achieve, but its also equally important to have fun while heading towards those goals." She explained. "You're never going to be able to enjoy yourself if you don't put yourself out there, champ. Life is all about having new experiences."

I looked at Kyu as she explained, and then looked forward at Tiffany. I sighed, as I realized that Kyu was right. I never really did anything extraordinary, because I was always content to stay in my safety zone. I hated venturing out of it, and I thought that if I just stayed there, I wouldn't get hurt or anything. For the most part, I was right. As long as I didn't venture out, everything stay the same. And up until yesterday, I was happy with that.

But Kyu was right. If I didn't at least make some effort, how would I ever experience what my friends had experienced? I clenched my fist and stood up from the bench I was sitting on.

"Fine, I'll go speak to her." I said.

"Great!" Kyu said, proud that I was taking initiative. "Let's see, from the way she looks and her posture, I wager she's a girl next door, so-to-speak." I looked as Kyu was studying the girl. "Be nice to her and try not to say anything that will scare off." She advised.

"Got it." I said, as I began walking towards her.

"BUT!" Kyu exclaimed, making me jump. "Don't be afraid to take a chance with her if you see it, K?"

"R-right." I said, still scared out of my wits. I took a deep breathe and finally approached the young school girl. "H-hi." I said, trying to control my stammering.

"Hi there!" Tiffany said, greeting me with a smile, which put me at ease a bit.

"D-don't take this the w-wrong way or anything, but I thought you looked r-really c-c-cute, so I had to come over and say hi." I said. I ducked my head, prepared to receive a lecture, or worst, a slap in the face.

"Who? Me? Oh nooo, I'm so not cute." Tiffany said, embarrassed. "…But thanks a lot for the compliment."

"Oh, uhhh…n-no problem." I said. _"She doesn't think she's cute?"_ I thought. _"She must be kidding! I bet there are plenty of guys here who'd kill to be her boyfriend."_

"Hmm, do you attend this campus" Tiffany asked, knocking out of my thoughts. "I feel like I've seen you here, a lot."

"Oh, uhh… yeah." I answered. "You and I actually have a class together." I explained.

"We do?" Tiffany asked, surprised.

"Yeah, we have College Algebra together. You probably don't see me because I always sit in the back seat, next to the window."

"Oh really?" Tiffany asked. Just as she was about to say more, the bells sounded throughout the entire campus, signaling it was time for classes to start. "Oh, there's the bell!" Tiffany said, as she began packing up her bags. "I gotta get going to class! It was nice talking to you…" I looked as she trailed off, and I realized that she probably didn't know my name.

"Oh, uhh… its Charles." I said, introducing myself.

"Nice to meet you, Charles! Hopefully, I'll see you in class!" And with that, the schoolgirl quickly ran off into the campus building. I exhaled, as I felt all the stress leave my body.

"Nice going, playa!" Kyu said, appearing beside me. "I told you could do it! Now, she knows your name, at least."

"Yeah, thanks." I said, as I gathered my bags from the bench.

"Who knows?" Kyu continued. "Maybe she'll ask you on a date after class!" I looked at Kyu, skeptically. Was she serious, right now?

"Kyu, we only just met one another. And its not like our conversation made an impression on her." I said, walking away, as I entered the building, heading for my class.

"Oh Charles," Kyu said, as she watched him walk away. "You have a lot to learn about a woman's heart…"

 **Monday, University Campus- Afternoon**

I groaned as I walked into my final class for the day, College Algebra. I was dreading it, simply for the fact that math was my worst subject. Really and truly, I disliked any subject that didn't help to improve my writing. However, my distaste for math was on a different level, all on its own. Don't get me wrong, I loved numbers and all, but all those formulas and equations and such put my brain on overload. It was especially stressful during test time. Remembering all of that stuff was enough for me to put a screw to my head.

It also didn't help the fact that our teacher was an old fart who could bore even the most dedicated student. If anything the professor, himself, seemed to be bored to tears by the subject he teaches. Maybe this was a sign for all the students to beware. Too bad no one told me. I could have chosen another Math class for this. Sighing, I headed for my seat in the back and prepared for class, for all the good it was going to do me.

"Hey Charles!" someone called out to me. I looked up and my eyes grew big as I realized it was Tiffany calling me.

"Oh, uhhh… hey Tiffany." I said, greeting her. "What's up?"

"You wanna come sit up front?" She asked. My eyes grew big as I realized she was asking me to come sit with her.

"A-are y-you s-sure?" I asked, stammering.

"Yeah! Come on!" She said, grabbing my arm, pulling me out of my seat. I was glad we were alone, because I wouldn't been able to handle amount of looks I'd be receiving right about now. Before I knew it, I was sitting in the very front with Tiffany. There were about six rows in our class, and there were eight in each row. All together, there were 48 desks, but we didn't even have half the number of students to fill them all. Counting Tiffany and I, there were about 15 of us in class.

I always sat in the back during class, because it's where I always felt the most comfortable. Plus, sitting in the back helps when you want to catch a quick nap without your teacher noticing. Sitting in the front, pretty much labels you as a 'teacher's pet' or a 'brown noser'. Not that I cared anything about labels and such, but it is what it is.

As more of the students entered into class, I could feel many eyes on me, as if wondering what I was doing in the front. I ignored them, since I didn't owe them any explanation. As I stated before, I wasn't the most popular guy around. And believe it or not, I was perfectly fine with that. Popularity was overrated, and quite frankly, I didn't believe in it. It was just something to help people feel good about themselves. Being in the background suited me just fine.

I looked over at Tiffany and saw she was being reviewing her notes for class. She didn't seem confused at all. I envied her intelligence. It seemed that no matter what class she was in, she always excelled in it. If she wasn't at the top of her class, she was near it. It always amazed me when she was the first one to turn in a test. She truly was one of a kind.

"Charles?"

"Huh?!" I exclaimed. I looked as I saw Tiffany staring at me.

"Something wrong?" she asked.

"Oh, uhh… no." I answered. "Sorry, I was just…amazed at how you seemed to understand the material so easily."

"Thanks." She said, laughing a bit. "You don't understand it well?"

"Not really." I said, a bit embarrassed. "Math isn't really my best subject."

"Really?" She asked. I nodded in confirmation. "Well, if you need…"

Before she could finish, the bell rung and all talking ceased. We looked at each other and faced forward as we wanted patiently for the professor to arrive. The door opened and everyone in class turned to look as the professor walked in. Only it wasn't the person who walked in wasn't our professor. No, the person who walked in was someone entirely different, and everyone's eyes grew large and wide as she moved across the room.

The woman was Asian; probably Japanese by the way she looked. She was slender with curved sides and had fairly large breasts. Her eyes were gray, and they matched the color of her hair, which went down to her shoulders. She was wearing a loose, black neck tie with a green jacket and a white shirt. She had on a pair of white shorts and some red high heels. Finally, as if to complete her look, she had on a pair of circular frame glasses.

We all watched as she moved to the teacher's desk, which was in the center of the room, and stood behind it, facing the entire class.

"Good morning, everyone!" she said, greeting us with a small smile on her face. Normally, we would all greet her back, but since we didn't know her name or who she was, we all just kept quiet.

"My name is Ms. Yumi. If you wish you can also call me Aiko. Either one is fine, I don't care which." She said, shrugging. Would it be too much to say that her attitude really didn't suit her appearance?

"Judging by the confused looks on each and every one of your faces, I can tell you were expecting your regular professor, right?" she asked, though she didn't really wait for an answer. "Well, I'm sorry to say that Professor so-so and will be out for the rest of the semester. He came down with a serious illness, and it doesn't look like he'll be back anytime soon. So, until further notice, I'll be your College Algebra teacher." She announced.

The class soon burst into a fit of whispers.

' _She's_ going to be teaching us?' 'I know, right?!' 'I'm not complaining!'

We all were soon quieted down as the teacher, now known as Ms. Yumi, beat on the desk with her book.

"Hey now," she said, with a frown. "I like chatter as much as the next woman, but there's a time and place for everything." She then picked up the teacher's book that was on the desk. "Before we begin, I feel I should let you all know. I can get pretty excited when I teach. So, if I happen to go off on a tangent, just interrupt me and I'll stop. Got it?" she asked. Again, she didn't wait for anyone to answer, instead opening up the book to a random page.

"Good. So tell me, where did your professor leave off on?" she asked.

"Umm…" I looked as Tiffany raised her hand. "We stopped on Chapter 8, Miss. We were covering 'Linear Equations'."

"Ah. Thanks Miss…"

"Tiffany, miss." Tiffany said, introducing herself with a smile.

"Right. Thank you, Tiffany." Aiko turned around, picking up a piece of chalk and began writing on the board. "So, let's get started." She said, as the class began taking notes.

 **Monday, University Campus- Afternoon**

The clock struck 2 P.M. as I walked out of the campus building. I stretched, trying to get all the cringes out of my body. Four straight classes sitting in stiff desks all day can do that to you. I sighed, as I walked down the steps to the building.

"So, done with classes for the day?" Kyu asked, appearing right next to me. Normally, I'd be surprised if she had done that to me earlier, but after being invited to sit in the front row with Tiffany and having a new substitute teacher in Algebra class, nothing would surprise me after this.

"Yup." I answered, stretching my arms once more.

"Great!" Kyu said, grabbing my arm. "So come on, let's go talk to some more chicks!"

"Woah, woah, woah, Kyu." I said, pulling my arm back and rubbing it. "Maybe later, okay? I'm beat right now, and I've got a couple of hours to rest before I head to my job."

"Aww, come on! You were making some good progress! Don't throw it all away now!" Kyu complained.

"Tiffany wasn't progress, Kyu." I said, frowning at her choice of words. "She probably just felt sorry for me. Like I said earlier, its not as if I made some sort of impression on…"

"Hey Charles!" someone called out interrupting me. I looked as I saw Tiffany running up towards me.

"Tiffany?" I said, as she ran up to me, panting.

"Sorry, I wanted to get you before you left campus." She said, as tried to get air back in her lungs. "Just wondering, what did you think of class today?"

"Huh?" I said, not understanding at first. "Oh, you mean with the new substitute teacher?" I asked.

"Yeah." Tiffany answered. "She seems a little strange, but she does teach better than our regular professor."

"Yeah, I agree." I concurred. That was honestly the truth. I think that was the first time in a long time I didn't fall asleep in class. I think it was because I was sitting in the front row, though I won't deny the new substitute teacher may have had something to do with it. Of course, I won't say that I had a quick grasp of the material, but I did understand better when the professor wasn't _trying_ to put me to sleep.

"That's good." Tiffany said. "Hey, that reminds me. You say that you had trouble with math earlier, right?"

"Huh? Oh, uhh, yeah." I answered. I had to admit, I was a bit surprised.

"Thought so." She said. I looked as she then headed me a slip of paper. "Here."

"What's this?" I asked.

"My phone number." She answered. The moment she said, I felt time froze, as I stood there, paralyzed. If Tiffany noticed, she didn't say anything. "Give me a call sometime, and I'll come by your house and tutor you."

"Oh! Uhhh… thanks, really." I said, a blush on my cheeks.

"No prob." She said, smiling. She then turned around. "I gotta get going. I got cheerleading practice in a bit. See you!" she said, before running off. I stood there, still shocked as I held onto the scrap of paper that contained the head cheerleader's phone number. I looked down at it, as it contained up to nine numbers, like a normal phone number.

"Well, look at you!" Kyu said, a successful smile on her face. "Your first day, and you already received a girl's number! Congratulations, playa!" She said, happy for me. "And you were all like, 'I didn't even make an impression on her.' Shows what you know!"

"Okay fine, so I was wrong." I said, still blushing. "It still doesn't prove she likes me."

"Buddy, she just gave you her phone number and offered to tutor you in private. What more proof do you need?"

"She was just being nice." I said, in denial. "Besides, we don't even know enough about each other to confirm whether we like each other or not."

"Well, I'm sure those _tutoring_ sessions will give you plenty of time to get to _know_ one another." Kyu said, smirking at me.

"Oh, shut it." I said, embarrassed.

"Oh relax." Kyu said, slapping me on my back. "I'm just kidding. I'm really proud of you, champ."

"Thanks." I said, smiling.

"Oh yeah! That reminds me." Kyu said, holding out her hand. "Let me see your cell phone."

"What? Why?" I asked.

"Just trust me!" Kyu demanded. I cocked an eyebrow at her, before I handed it over.

"I can put her number in my phone, myself." I said. Kyu ignored me, and held my phone tight with both hands. "What are you doing?" I asked. Kyu didn't answer and instead showed me my phone, which was glowing pink for a brief second before disappearing. "What did you do?"

"Added a little fairy magic." Kyu said, proudly. "Check it out." Confused, I opened my phone and looked as Tiffany's number was now in my phone. However, that wasn't all. Beside her name, there were also slots for things, like: her favorite season, her favorite location, her height, weight, etc.

"Whenever you get a girl's number and add it to your phone, you can find out new information about her. Whenever something new pops up, it'll automatically be added to your phone." Kyu explained. "Not only that, but you can also see her current location. Pretty impressive, huh?" I looked at Kyu, cocking an eyebrow.

"Doesn't this seem borderline-stalkerish?" I asked, worried.

"It's only stalking if you want it to be, playa." Kyu answered. I opened my mouth to retort, but instead simply shook my head.

"Your logic never fails to amaze me." I said.

"That's the thing with logic: it only makes sense if you _don't_ think about it." Kyu said smugly.

"Riigght." I said, as I began walking away.

"So, where to now?" Kyu asked, naturally following me.

"I don't know." I said, shrugging. "Guess I'll head to the park. Maybe spend a couple of hours resting before I gotta go to my job."

"Great! Parks are great places to meet chicks." Kyu said, excited.

"Kyu, this may come as a surprise, but there's more to life than picking up chicks." I said, frowning.

"Says who?" She asked. Once again, I opened my mouth to retort, but then I let it drop, realizing that my logic would have no sway when it came to this love fairy. Sighing, I walked off of the campus and towards the park, wondering what else was in store for me this day…

* * *

Well, that's Chapter Two. I personally liked this chapter cause it delves a bit more into both Charles and Tiffany's characters. That's what I plan on doing with this story, examining the characters a bit more than the game gives us. If there's any ideas you'd like to present, simply review or PM me. I've just began writing Chapter Three, so I'm not sure when it will be out. Keep in mind that I still have classes to worry about. I'll still try to make room for writing, but I'm afraid personal life always comes first, unfortunately. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to review, if you want. Until next time.


	3. The Perverted and the Gentle

Well, here is the third chapter for you. I don't know if I'm pleased with the first half of it, but I think I did a pretty good job with the second half. Feel free to agree or disagree with me. Well, that's enough banter. Onto the story. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Monday, Dawnwood Park- Afternoon**

"Thank you." I said, as I handed the vendor the money for the hot dogs he had made. Kyu and I had arrived in the park, but she soon started complaining about being hungry. I couldn't say anything, since my stomach started growling as well; a grim reminder that I hadn't eaten anything since this morning. The university did offer lunch for those who paid, but the options just looked so gross that I couldn't help but not decide to eat any of it.

I walked back to the bench where Kyu was impatiently waiting for me.

"Here." I said, handing her hot dog.

"Finally!" She said, taking it and eagerly biting into it. I gave her a skeptic look, before biting into my hot dog. I nodded my head in approval at its taste.

"Mmm!" Kyu moaned. "Delicious!"

"Glad you approve." I said, still chewing on mine.

"Of course!" Kyu exclaimed. "I've always had a thing for your world's food. It's like, if all of your food here were guys, I'd fuck their brains out!" I naturally choked on my hot dog, and started coughing as my food went down the wrong way. I beat on my chest, trying to clear my chest and lung. Kyu looked over at me, concerned.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"N-no, I'm not okay!" I said, still coughing. I then looked up at her, upset. "I know its in your nature to blurt out everything you say and feel, but can you _please_ refrain from saying that kind of stuff while I'm eating?!"

"Aww, lighten up, playa!" Kyu said, a smirk on her face. "I'm just stating the facts of life, is all. Who knows? You, yourself, may get lucky one of these days!" She said, winking at me. I frowned at her, and shook my head as I stood up from the park bench.

"I'm done." I said, walking away. I needed to get away from that crazy fairy before she gives me even more of a headache.

"You gonna finish your hot dog?" Kyu yelled out at me. I waved her off, as if saying, 'Do what you want.' I heard a shout of glee from behind, followed by loud munches as I could hear the hot dog was being devoured. I sighed, and continued walking away. I had to wonder were all love fairies like Kyu? If so, I fear for all of the men in this world. I sighed, as I leaned against the fence, looking up at the sky.

"Woah." Kyu said, appearing out of nowhere, staring past me.

"Enjoyed your hot dog?" I asked, sarcastically.

"Huh? Oh yeah, it was good." Kyu said, ignoring my sarcasm. "But dude, look." I turned toward where Kyu was pointing, and my eyes grew big as I recognized the person she was staring at.

" _Ms. Yumi!"_ I thought. I looked as my substitute teacher was leaning against the fence and was sighing, just like me. Compared to how she looked in the classroom, she seemed…stressed. She still wore her same outfit from class.

"Oh my gosh," Kyu said.

"What's wrong now?" I asked, annoyed.

"Dude, Asian chicks." Kyu said.

"What about them?" I asked, cocking an eye in response.

"Don't even get me started." Kyu said, only confusing me more.

"I have got the worst case of yellow fever ever. EVER. Like a yellow plague." She said.

"Sucks for you, I like Asian chicks." I said, smiling.

"Really?" She asked, surprised.

"Really." I confirmed. This was actually true. There was something about Asian women that I just liked.

"Well, if that's the case, this should be a cinch for you then!" Kyu said, excited.

"Kyu, I can't hit on her." I said, refusing.

"What? Why not?" Kyu questioned.

"Because I just met her today." I explained. "She's my substitute teacher for my College Algebra class."

"And?" Kyu asked.

"And I'm pretty sure teacher/student relationships are forbidden in society's eyes." I explained, frowning.

"Dude, look at her." Kyu said. I did as commanded and looked as Ms. Yumi continued staring out at the sky. "Does she really look like the person that cares what others think of her?"

"Well… no…" I answered. That was the vibe I got from Ms. Yumi, even in the classroom. I mean, why else would a teacher walk into a classroom dressed as she was.

"So then go for it!" Kyu commanded. "Trust me, she will thank you for it."

"…Fine." I said, sighing. "So, what should I talk about?"

"Hmm…" Kyu said, as she looked over at the college professor, observing her. "Well, judging from her posture, I can guess that she's in a pretty shitty mood right now."

"So, what should I do?" I asked.

"My advice: say something stupid to try and cheer her up."

"Say something stupid?" I repeated, cocking an eye.

"Yup!" Kyu answered, smiling. "It doesn't matter what it is. The stupider it sounds, the better." And with that, the love fairy disappeared, leaving me and my professor alone in the park. I sighed, as I walked over to her and leaned beside her on the fence.

"Isn't it funny how everything about life seems so pointless and nothing ever truly makes any sense?" I asked, speaking outloud. Out of the corner of my eye, I looked as Ms. Yumi's frown slowly turned into a smile, before she chuckled a bit.

"Believe me, I ask myself that same question all the time." She said, smiling. I had to admit I was a bit surprised, since I didn't actually think that would actually work.

" _Don't stop now, champ!"_ Kyu said, talking to me in my head, surprising me.

"Kyu?" I asked for confirmation.

" _Yes, it's me! I'm speaking to you telepathically."_

"How…?" I was about to ask, before being cut off.

" _Not now, I'll explain later!"_ She said. _"Keep going, you've got her interest!"_ Obeying, I looked back at Ms. Yumi and smiled.

"I'm just kidding." I said. "I just thought you looked really cute, so I had to come over and say 'hi'."

"What? Noooo… I like a mess right now." She complained. "Besides, I'm sure my hair is a disaster."

"Really? I think it looks fine." I said, truthfully.

"Thanks." She said, laughing. "I'm just trying to relax; enjoy a bit of downtime between classes." She explained. "I teach over at the U.O.G. You know the place? It's like the only university in this whole city for some strange reason."

"Oh, you're so a teacher?" I asked, even though I knew the answer, since I just had class with her half an hour ago. "That must mean you have the sexy teacher angle thing going on, right?" I asked, winking. The response was a laugh.

"I don't know about that," Ms. Yumi began. "But I'm sure most of the boys in my class would happily agree with you."

" _You don't know how right you are,"_ I thought.

"I'm glad you came over here. A good laugh is exactly what I needed." She said, smiling. "My students call me Ms. Yumi, but you can call me Aiko."

"I'm Charles. Charles Harrison." I said, greeting myself.

"Pleased to meet you," She said. "So tell me, what kind of porn are you into?"

"Huh?!" I asked, shocked.

"What? I want to know." She asked, smiling.

" _I-is she serious, right now?"_ I wondered. Judging by the expression on her face, she was completely serious. _"I better think carefully about this."_

"Uhh…let's just say that one look at my browser history would absolutely terrify you." I said, lying though my teeth. Truthfully, I did watch porn, but just the generic kind, if they made any sense.

"Really?" Aiko asked, before laughing. "Now, I'm really curious! It can't be worse than mine though."

" _If you had the courage to ask a question like that, I don't doubt it."_ I thought.

"Let's see…" She said, as she thought of another question. "Oh, here's a fun one, what's your automatic turn-on?"

"Huh?" I asked, surprised. Truthfully, after her first question, I was prepared for something like this, though that didn't stop the blush on my cheeks from appearing. Thankfully, I already had my answer.

"I like…hearing a girl moan." I said, scratching the back of my head, embarrassed.

"You mean…like this?" Aiko asked. I then looked at her shocked, as she started moaning in the middle of the park. Thankfully, there weren't a lot of people around, so no one could hear her, nor see the huge blush on my face. Afterwards, she laughed, amused by my reaction.

" _This woman… I think she may possibly be worse than Kyu!"_ I thought. The two of us went back and far, trading answers and questions with one another, though Aiko's questions were more on the perverse side than mine were. After an hour or so, we both noticed the time.

"Crap, is it that time already?" Aiko asked, looking at the large clock in the middle of the park. "Sorry, I gotta run. I have a class to teach in 30 minutes." She said, groaning. "It was nice chatting with you. Meet at the campus later and we'll talk more, deal?"

"Uhh… sure." I said, still blushing.

"Great! See you then!"

And with that, I watched my college professor leave, a happy smile on her face. I stood there, still a bit out of sorts from the amount of questions she asked me.

"You okay there, champ?" Kyu asked, appearing beside me, chuckling. "I hope she didn't wear you out too badly."

"Yeah right," I said, rolling my eyes. "She may be even worse than you."

"And that's bad?" Kyu asked, smiling. "Well, that's two girls in one day. You're getting good at this!"

"Thanks, but that's enough for today." I said, snapping myself out of the daze I was in. "I gotta get home and get ready for work.

"Oh come on!" Kyu whined. "One more spot, and then we can go home! Please?" she begged.

"Oh brother…" I said, rolling my eyes. "Fine. One more spot, but afterwards, we're heading home, whether you like it or not."

"Deal!" Kyu said, smiling. "Come on, I know the perfect place for babe-watching."

"And where's that?" I asked. "The beach?"

"Yup! Exactly!" Kyu answered.

"Wait, what?!" I exclaimed. "I was kidding! Besides, I don't have anything to wear!"

"Doesn't matter! We're going there to pick up babes, not swim!"

Sighing once more at Kyu's logic, I let her lead me all the way from the park to the beach.

 **Monday, Turtle Bay Beach- Afternoon**

After about a 10-minute walk, we arrived on the beach. I admit, it was a pretty good to be here. If it wasn't for the fact that it was a work day, and evening was coming on fast, I would have liked to stay and catch a few rays. I looked as I saw a lot of girls walking in bikinis and swimsuits, making me smile a bit. I walked a bit until I saw two women arguing with one another. Both of them looked pretty, but it was the woman in the skimpy bikini that caught my attention.

From her skin, it was obvious she was of Indian descent. She had fuchsia-colored eyes and had short chopped hair that only went down to her lower neck. She was wearing a gold bikini with brown highlights. On the bikini were the words, 'With Love'.

"Enjoying the view?" Kyu asked, appearing beside me. It was only then that I realized that I had been staring at her.

"Huh?! Oh! N-no, I was… I was just…" I stammered, trying to come up with an excuse.

"You were just, you were just…" Kyu repeated, teasing me. "Yeah, nice try, tiger, but you can't fool me."

"Sorry." I said, embarrassed, as I rubbed the back of my head.

"Don't be!" Kyu said, as she looked over at the woman. "You've got good taste. I mean, look at her!" She said, admiring the woman's body. "I'd kill for a set like that." She said, looking at the girl's chest. She moaned, whining about her own lack of a…chest. I kept my mouth shut, knowing that saying anything else was liable to get myself hurt.

"But anyway, I digress." Kyu said, getting over her apparent sadness. "Quick, now's your chance."

"My chance?" I repeated, confused. "My chance for what?"

"Before she goes to change, just say something!" Kyu exclaimed.

"Say something? Like what?" I asked.

"Doesn't matter! Just say anything!" And with that, Kyu disappeared once more. I looked as the woman was walking away to the dressing rooms. Picking up speed, I hurried over to her, but did so in a way that wasn't indiscreet.

"Sorry miss," I began. "But if I don't stop you now, I'll regret it forever."

"What?!" The woman exclaimed. Realizing she was caught before she could get away, she groaned.

"Hi, sorry." She said, blushing. "My friend made me put this dumb thing on, I'm afraid." She then turned around, prepared to leave. "One second, I'll go change and be right out."

"Why? I was kinda hoping you'd leave it on." I said, , gently grabbing her shoulder before she could leave.

"What?! Why?" She asked, surprised.

"Because, I don't know who your friend is, but they have very good taste." I said. I was completely serious too. "That bikini looks like it was made for you."

"Really?" She asked, looking down at herself. "No. You think so?"

"Trust me, I know so." I said, smiling.

"But, it's kinda revealing. Don't you think?" She asked, still blushing. "I mean, I don't want people to think… I'm like that, you know?"

"Like what? Cute? Adorable? Sexy as hell? Too late." I said. The woman, in turn, laughed.

"Shut up. You know what I meant." She said, smiling, before looking down at herself. "Hmmm… well, I guess it's not that bad…" she said, after looking herself over, once more.

"I mean, if you're really saying you like it…"

"I am." I said, nodding. "And I'm also saying that I like the person inside of it." I winked. The woman laughed, once more.

"Well, thank the Heavens for that." She said. "Oh, and by the way, the person you're talking to inside of the bikini; her name is Beli, if you wanted to know."

"Well, to the attractive woman known as Beli, my name is Charles." I said, chuckling before bowing to her, as if I were a gentleman. "A pleasure." I could tell she was amused, as she laughed once more at me.

"Tell me, is this your technique?" she asked. "Flirting with all women in skimpy bikinis?"

"Only the really attractive ones." I said, with another wink. Once more, Beli laughed.

"Well, I'm certainly happy to be in such a category." She said, smirking.

"Oh trust me, I only allow a certain few in." I said. With that, the two of us got off to a great start and spent much of our time talking.

"So tell me, what do you do?" Beli asked, as we sat down on the sands together.

"Huh? Oh, uhhh… I'm a student at U.O.G." I answered.

"Oh, you're a university student?" She asked. I nodded in confirmation. "Tell me, do you know a woman there by the name of Aiko Yumi?"

"You mean Ms. Yumi?" I asked. "She's my college algebra teacher. Why?"

"She's one of my students in my yoga class." She answered. I was a bit surprised. I had no idea the two of them no one another, much less that Aiko took yoga.

"Wow, you teach yoga?" I asked.

"Yes. I teach at the local gym. I've been doing it for two years now." She explained. "My work takes me away from the city for a bit, but it's enjoyable enough."

"Oh, that's neat." I said, not really knowing what else to say.

"Hey, you know, if you're interested, you should join!" Beli offered. "We have classes every Tuesday through Saturday. I'm sure you'd like it."

"Huh?" I exclaimed. Me, join a yoga class? Yeah, right! "Uhh… I'd like to Beli, but I honestly wouldn't know where to start." I explained. "And also, isn't yoga mainly for women only?"

"That's a common misconception." Beli said, chuckling. "I assure you, yoga is for everyone. And trust me, once you start, it'll be very hard to stop." As if to prove her point, Beli stood up and started doing some poises, while I stared at her.

"Yoga is a very relaxing practice. It helps improve you physically, mentally and spiritually." Beli explained. "It helps to open up the many points inside of your body, and it also helps to clear your mind. It's a very good for stress relief." She said, before sitting back down on the sand.

"Wow…" I said, amazed.

"So, what do you think interested?" She asked.

"Uhh… yeah, kinda." I answered. Beli smiled, clapping her hands together.

"Great!" She said, happily. "Here's an idea, come observe us Tuesday morning at the gym. We start early." She explained. "If you like it, you're free to join us, if you wish."

"Uhh… okay, sure." I said, agreeing.

"Excellent! We look forward to seeing you." Beli said, still smiling.

"Great. I'm uhh… looking forward to it." I said, though I still really didn't know much about yoga.

After a while, the two of us parted ways, promising to see each other tomorrow. I sighed, as I stretched, trying to get motion back in my body from sitting on the sand all that time.

"Wow. That was awesome, champ!" Kyu appeared, congratulating me.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.

"The way you were handling Beli, I mean!" Kyu explained. "I couldn't have been any more proud to be your mentor. It almost brought tears to my eyes." She said, wiping away a fake tear. I looked at her, skeptical.

"Really?" I asked.

"What? A mentor can't be proud of her student?" Kyu asked, pretending to be hurt. I sighed, waving my hand at Kyu as I proceeded to walk away.

"So, heading to work now?" Kyu asked.

"Unfortunately." I sighed. If I didn't have to work, I wouldn't. Unfortunately, the world didn't work that way. Sighing, I began the long trek to my day of work, not looking forward to it in the least…

* * *

And that's the end of the Chapter Three. Like I said, I enjoyed doing this chapter a lot, since Aiko is one of my favorite girls in the game. Beli was a lot easier to write about though, since I feel the two of us have a lot in common. But anyway, I hoped you enjoyed it. I'm in the process of writing the next chapter, but I'm not sure when it will be. I'd like to say this weekend, but I'm not making any promises. Until then, feel free to review or PM. Until next time!


	4. The Seductive and the Determined

**Well, it took longer than I thought it would, but here's the next chapter of the story. Don't really have much to say, so enjoy!**

* * *

 **Monday, Blooms' Supermarket- Evening**

"Hurry it up with those boxes, _Charlie_!" Kyle, my co-worker, yelled at me as I heaved another large box onto my chest. "I've got a hot date to prepare for, and I'd rather not be here all night because of you, ya slug."

I was currently in the warehouse in the supermarket I worked for hauling out crates that were full of produce. It wasn't a lot, fortunately. However, because of my lazy-ass co-worker, it had taken exactly two hours to get five crates unloaded, and we still weren't even halfway done!

"You know, this would go a lot faster if you helped." I said, peeved. I wanted to be out of here just as badly as he did, but because of him it looked like we were going for overtime.

"Yeah right." Kyle said, laughing. "You think I'm going to risk these money makers lifting boxes like some peon?" he said, showing off his fingers. "These babies are what I used to caress hot ladies' bodies at night. They're not for risking to get myself hurt over."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, as I set another crate down and started unpacking. It was at this time, that I heard heavy footsteps coming our way. I looked up as saw Alvin, my supervisor enter the warehouse.

"What's going on here?" he demanded. "It's ten minutes to closing, and you guys still aren't done?" I didn't say a word, and continued unpacking. Truthfully, I had no problem with Alvin. The guy was tough, but he was willing to work with you, if you could put up with him long enough. He reminded me a bit of my dad, to be honest.

"Well sir, I had already finished unpacking my share of the crates and I was waiting for _Charles_ here to hurry and finish so we could all leave." Kyle explains, lying straight through his teeth. I narrowed my eyes at him, and shook my head, not bothering to retort.

"I asked him did he need any help, but he _insisted_ on doing it all himself." He explained, looking at me with a sad expression, though I could easily see through his façade.

" _You're not fooling anyone, you lying S.O.B."_ I thought.

"Charles, is this true?" Alvin asked, crossing his arms, a serious expression on his face. I stopped what I was doing, stood up and looked my boss straight in the eyes.

"Sir, forgive me, but I'm not even going to dignify that question with a response." I said. I then pointed at Kyle, glaring at him. "If you are honestly going to take the time out to believe anything that comes out of this ass-kissing liar's mouth, then I'm afraid there is little I can do for you." I said. I know that this was a surefire way to take a trip to the unemployment line, but at this rate, I really didn't care.

"Hey, watch how you speak to the boss!" Kyle yelled, glaring at me, prompting me to glare right back at him. I wasn't a violent person by nature. Really and truly, I hated violence because there were always different ways to solve a dispute than by fighting. However, that's not to say that I won't defend myself if I feel that I'm being threatened. If push comes to shove, I'll gladly fight someone if they push me over the edge.

"Alright, that's enough!" Alvin yelled, getting our attention. "Both of you are done for the day. Clock out and leave. Now."

"Yes sir!" Kyle said. I said nothing, instead just nodding. Kyle wasted no time, running out of the store to get ready for his 'date'. Me, I was ready to leave as well, but I took things at a leisurely pace.

I never really understood the need to do things fast. Doing things at your own pace is a guaranteed way to make sure things are done correctly than by trying to hurry up and get them done. It made me somewhat unpopular whenever I worked in groups, but that was just how I did things. And I wasn't planning on changing them now.

 **Monday, Bedroom- Evening**

Unlocking the door to my apartment, I groaned and rubbed my eyes as I walked inside. I looked around and saw no sign of Kyu, but I knew she'd turn up when she was good and ready. Sighing, I headed for the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water, before heading to my room. Opening the door, I saw a familiar love fairy, with her feet plastered on my desk, reading some of my more… private magazines. Normally, I'd say something about her going through my stuff, but I was just so exhausted, I didn't even bother.

"Hey champ!" Kyu said, as turned to greet me, still looking at my magazines. "Gotta say, you've got a pretty good selection here. You gotta find a better place to hide them, though. Hiding them between your mattresses is just so cliché." She said.

"Not now, Kyu." I said, as I took a sip of my water before placing the glass somewhere and dropping onto my bed. Worried, Kyu flew over toward me.

"What's wrong, champ?" She asked, concerned. "Rough day at work?" I sighed, and nodded. "Wanna talk about it?" She asked.

"Thanks, but not right now." I said, exhausted. "Right now, I just wanna try and not think about it."

"Oh, okay." Kyu said. "Well, if you wanna talk, I'm here." She offered. I looked at her, and gave her a small smile.

"Thanks Kyu." I said. Honestly, I was a bit surprised. I always thought Kyu would be the one to make light out of everything. But I guess even she could be serious when she wanted to be. I sighed as I tried clearing my head.

Truthfully, I didn't know why I was so stressed out. All things considered, today was a pretty good day. I managed to talk to a cute classmate of mine, I met a hot teacher today and I even had the pleasure of meeting a nice yoga instructor. All it took was my idiot coworker to go and ruin it for me. I sighed, irritated.

" _Why am I letting that idiot into my thoughts?"_ I thought, upset. _"Forget it. I'm not letting damn kiss-up ruin one of the best days I've had all year!"_

"Aw, to hell with it." I said, as I sat up on my bed. I grabbed my favorite jacket from my closet, zipped it up and headed for the door.

"Hey!" Kyu called after me. "Where you going?!"

"To the bar." I answered. "I need a drink."

"Wait up! I'm coming to!" She called, flying after me. I looked at her, as she smiled at me, making me roll my eyes as we headed to bar.

 **Monday, Bar & Lounge- Evening**

I sighed as I took the same seat I was in yesterday. I didn't come to the bar very often. I only ever started because my friends dragged me out here, once. That started a chain reaction, as I tried to come every chance I could. Due to school and work, however, it was hard to find the time.

"Hey Charles." The bartender greeted me. "The usual?" he asked.

"Yeah, but fill it halfway. I can't stay long tonight." I explained. He nodded and quickly went to work. In a few seconds, I had an ice cold glass of beer in my left hand. As good as the drinks were in this bar, they weren't my main reason for coming here. Really, I came for ambience. Being in a nice, calm setting was very relaxing. Fortunately, there weren't a lot of people out tonight, so I could enjoy the peace all by myself. I smiled as I took a sip of my beer.

Out of the corner of my eye, I looked as someone sat down a few seats away from me. Stealing a glance, my eyes grew big and my mouth fell open as I gazed upon the beautiful creature across from me. The woman had a curved build with very large breasts. She had stunning blue eyes that seemed to go well with her blonde, shoulder-length hair. And if her body wasn't enough to draw your attention, then the outfit she had on certainly did the job. It was… provocative, to say the least. She had on a leopard print top, some navy blue shorts and a pair of dark brown pants.

"Whoa!" Kyu exclaimed, appearing beside me, as she stared at the woman. "Check this _thing_ out! May I be the first to say MILF alert?!"

"Really?" I said, frowning at her. I know I shouldn't be surprised with whatever Kyu says and does anymore, but I still don't like the way she talks about women like that.

"Sorry champ." Kyu said, apologizing. "But you have to admit, she is indeed, a 10/10!" Kyu explained.

"Yeah… I'll agree with you there." I said, discreetly looking back at the woman out of the corner of my eye.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of the situation here, pal." Kyu explained.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"What else do you think I mean when it comes to hot and sexy women, champ?" Kyu answered. Realization suddenly dawned on me.

"You want me to hit on her?!" I asked.

"Well, duh!" She said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I frowned at her.

"Kyu, you, yourself, just said that she's a… MILF." I said, not liking that acronym at all. "That pretty much guarantees that's she married and has a husband."

"Are you serious?" Kyu asked, upset. "Dude, if she were married, do you honestly think she'd be coming down to the bar _alone_?"

"That still doesn't prove that's she not married!" I argued.

"Well, whatever!" Kyu said, waving off my complaints. "Are you going to take a chance and be man and talk to her? Or are you gonna stay here and nurse that beer all night long?" she asked, serious. "Either one is fine, but if you don't take the chance now, you may never get it again, buddy."

I looked at Kyu, annoyed. I hated when she was right. And I hated her logic too. Sighing, I stood up from my seat.

"So, what do I do?" I asked, conceding defeat. Kyu smiled and clapped her hands together, before looking back at the woman.

"You've got to be aggressive with this one." Kyu answered.

"Aggressive?" I asked, confused.

"That's right." Kyu said, nodding. "That nice guy shit isn't going to cut it this time. You've got to show her that you're a man. Any less than that, and you'll turn her off." And with that, Kyu vanished, as usual, leaving me alone. I looked at the woman, and swallowed a lump in my throat, as I was feeling pretty nervous. Shaking it off, I walked up to the woman and took a seat beside her.

"That is a supremely nice pair of tits there. Ten out of ten." I said, before I felt myself blush. I never thought that kind of stuff would actually come out of my mouth. I half-expected the woman to look at me shocked, and I'd be lying on the ground with a red mark on my face. However, the woman, to my surprise, laughed.

"Aren't they?" She said, proudly showing off her chest. "What can I say? I'm blessed." As she talked, I felt myself entranced by the lovely sound of her voice. For some reason, I felt goosebumps all over my skin. Was it because of her voice or the lovely sight of her that spooked me? I can't say for certain. But whatever it was, needless to say, it was… breathtaking.

"Hun, do you think you could do a poor girl a favor?" she asked.

"And what might that be?" I answered.

"Do something my empty glass." She said, showing her empty wine glass. "Pretty please?"

"I can do that." I said, winking. "But what do I get in return?" The woman smirked and put her hands on my face, shocking me.

"Oh honey, I can make it worth your while. I _promise_." She said, seductively whispering into my ear. My entire face felt like it was on fire, which was a sure sign that was I blushing like crazy.

" _Okay, if I didn't have goosebumps before, I definitely have them now."_ I thought. Remembering Kyu's words, I coughed, trying to be rid of my blush. Signaling the bartender, I asked for a martini. After it was prepared, I happily presented it to her.

"Thank you, honey." She said, smirking. I watched as she brought the drink to her lips, sampling it before drinking it. I don't know why, but the way she did it was enough to make me blush again.

"So tell me," I began, regaining my bravado. "How many drinks exactly does it take to see what's under the shirt?" I asked, winking. The woman laughed once more, setting her empty cup.

"Only one way to find out, now isn't there?" She asked, winking back at me. "You know, you haven't even asked my name yet. I'm more than just a pretty face, ya' know."

"You mean I haven't asked?" I asked, in mock surprise. "Of course, what was I thinking?" I then took her hand, bowing my head with a smirk on my face. "May I have the honor of knowing the name of the beautiful woman beside me?" Once more, the woman laughed, amused by my antics.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, hunny." She said, smiling. "Most young boys your age know me as Misty." She said, introducing herself. "But, you can call me Jessie."

"Jessie." I said, repeating her name.

"That's right." She said, crossing her knees over each other. "You should feel honored. I only share that secret with people I like." I smirked.

"Well, I'm glad you consider me worthy to be part of that group." I said. I felt myself chuckle as I said that. _"Didn't I say something like that earlier today?"_ I thought. I smiled as she laughed once more, pleased.

"So tell me, are you new here?" She inquired.

"Huh? New?" I asked, confused. Jessie nodded, and then looked out in front of her, looking at the walls of drinks that were shown in the bar window.

"I come to this bar all the time, but I don't think I've ever seen you here before." She explained. "The cute ones are always hiding."

"Oh. I, uh, I come to this bar whenever I'm free." I explained. "I normally don't come on week nights, but I had a bad day at work, and I just needed a stiff drink."

"Oh, I understand exactly what you mean." Jessie said. "Bad days are absolutely the worst. I know from experience." I didn't know why, but for some reason, she looked at little sad as she said that. I looked and saw as a sad smile had formed on her face.

"Jessie?" I asked, worried.

"Oh, don't mind me sweetie." Jessie said, her smile disappearing as quickly as it came. "So, do you mind if I ask you something…"

I listened to Jessie speak as we sat there talking with one another. From what I observed, Jessie certainly wasn't discreet. She didn't seem to care if you were staring at her lustfully, or you just happened to steal a glance at her.. In fact, it seemed like she welcomed any kind of attention she got. She reminded me of a certain Japanese teacher, for some reason. I wondered if the two of them knew each other and were friends…

As we talked, I felt myself looking at her more closely than before. I don't know why, but for some reason, she looked very familiar. Her appearance was similar to someone's, but I couldn't exactly say who. The face was there, but everything else was… gone.

"Honey?" I heard Jessie call out to me. I look as she was looking at me, worried.

"Is something the matter?" she asked. "You were looking at me so strongly."

"O-oh, was I?" I asked, not realizing it.

"Yes, you were." Jessie said, frowning. She then smiled, winking at me. "But don't worry. I don't mind. I like being ogled."

"I don't doubt it." I said, grinning. She chuckled, and then leaned in closer to me, grabbing my face like before.

"Play your cards right, and I might let you look a little… closer." She said, whispering in my ear again. I felt blush once more, as I blinked.

"Uhh… sure." I said, still blushing, as I rubbed the back of my head, embarrassed. Jessie merely laughed at my expression. We talked for a bit looker until I checked the time on my watch, which read 10:00 P.M.

"Oh, is it that late already?" I said, as I pulled out my wallet and laid some money on the counter for the bartender. "Sorry Jess, I've got to get going."

"Aww, you're leaving me?" Jessie asked, pouting.

"Unfortunately." I said, a bit upset. "I'd love to stay and talk more, but my boss will let me have it again if I'm late."

"Aww, such a shame." Jessie said. "Then I suppose this is goodbye for now."

"Unfortunately. I enjoyed talking to you." I said, as I prepared to leave.

"Hold on." Jessie said, calling out to me.

"Hmm?" I asked, turning around. I looked as Jessie walked up to me, and held out her hand.

"Let me see your cell phone, please." She asked.

"My… cell phone?" I repeated. I pulled it out and handed it to her. After a minute, she handed it back. I looked as she had added her own number to my phone.

"Give me a call sometime. I'd love to hear from you." She said, planting a soft kiss on my cheek. "Sleep tight." She said, as she walked back to the bar. I stared at her as she walked away, my face in full red.

"Well! Seems like you made an impression on her!" Kyu said, appearing next to me.

"Y-yeah." I said, still blushing as I rubbed the place where she had kissed me.

"Two phone numbers in one day! You've come a long way, champ." Kyu said, smiling.

"Thanks Kyu." I said, as I inhaled some air, and happily walked out of the bar.

As Kyu and I walked back to my apartment, she could tell something was on my mind, as I hadn't said anything in the past few minutes, instead look just looking out in front of me, and occasionally, at the sky.

"Something bothering you, champ?" Kyu asked, curious.

"Huh? Oh, uhh, its nothing." I said.

"Nice try, but you can't fool me." Kyu said, not falling for it. "What's up?"

"Well," I started. "It's nothing important. Just about Jessie."

"What about her?" Kyu asked. "Don't tell me you miss her already!"

"No, its not that." I said. "It's just… she seems so familiar, somehow. Like, I've seen her somewhere before."

"Familiar how?" Kyu asked.

"I'm not sure. It's just that… I know I've seen her face somewhere before. I just can't remember where." I explained.

"Well… maybe you've seen her in a movie, somewhere?" She suggested.

"A movie?" I repeated. I looked up to the sky, in thought, and nodded my head. "You know what? She actually did mention that she was an actress of some kind."

"Well, there you go then!" Kyu said. "You probably saw her in a movie somewhere. I mean, with that face and body, is it really so surprising?"

"I… guess not." I answered. It would make sense that I've seen her in movies before. However, for some reason, I still couldn't quite put the feeling out of my mind…

 **Tuesday, Bedroom- Morning**

I was awoken by the beeping of my alarm clock as it read 7:30 A.M. I groaned as I hit it, turning it off. I yawned and stretched as I drowsily made my way out of bed and headed for my bathroom to wash up. As I walked, I rubbed my eyes, trying to regain my vision. It was like this every morning for me. Though, I suppose I should feel glad to have woken up at all.

After a quick shower, I headed back in my room and got dressed. I stretched as I packed my bag with some extra clothes.

"What you doing, champ?" Kyu asked.

"Packing some gym clothes." I answered. "I promised Beli I'd come see here yoga class today. And since its at the gym, I figured I could get in a couple of sets while I'm there."

"Ugh, exercise." Kyu said, disgusted. "I don't see the point in it." I looked at Kyu, cocking an eyebrow. I opened my mouth to retort, but decided better against it. I merely shook my head, and continued packing. After a minute or so, I was done and out the door; with Kyu following behind me, of course.

 **Tuesday, Nutmeg Café- Morning**

"I thought we were heading for the gym." Kyu said, as we arrived at the entrance to the café.

"It's not open yet." I said, opening the door to the restaurant. "Besides, I didn't get a chance to eat breakfast yet, and I'm starving." I looked around for a seat, and decided to pick one near the counter. Figuring I'd be working out in about an hour, I opted for a light breakfast, consisting of a cinnamon Danish and a cup of coffee. I wasn't a big coffee drinker, but if it was there, I wasn't going to deny myself a cup.

"How can you eat that stuff?" Kyu asked, looking at me, slightly disgusted. I cocked an eyebrow at her, in response.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean, that." She said, pointing to my Danish and coffee. "What is it with you humans and breakfast food?" I shrugged in response.

"I don't know. I'm not even a big breakfast eater." I answered. That was actually the truth, believe it or not. I rarely ever ate breakfast. Despite the fact that it was called the, 'most important meal of the day', I didn't think so. The only reason I was eating it now was because I went to bed without dinner, which was a shock unto it self, since I tried to never skip dinner.

As I bit into my Danish, I heard a commotion beside, and my eyes grew bigger as I looked at the woman a few seats away from me. She was black and had an average build with rather large breasts. Her eyes were dark gray, and they matched her brown curly hair that went down to her neck. She was wearing a pale blue short dress that looked like something a flight attendant would wear. She had on a pair of white gloves, some fishnet stockings that covered some of her legs and a pair of long white boots. Finally, as if to complete her outfit, she had a white scarf tied around her neck.

I stared at her as she was apparently arguing with a barista over not having been served yet. I frowned at the barista, as she was apparently too lazy to make a cup of coffee, which was what the argument was about from what I could hear. I bit into my Danish again, as I looked back at the woman.

"Mmmm-mmm!" Kyu moaned beside me. I looked at her, cocking an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked, my mouth full of food.

"I love me some chocolate!" Kyu said, pointing to the woman. "I'll have a tall glass of what's she serving, know what I'm saying?" Frowning at Kyu, I flicked her in the forehead, as I finished chewing my food. "Ow!" She cried out, rubbing her forehead.

"Dummy." I said, getting up from my seat and walking over to the woman.

"Hey wait!" Kyu called out, surprised. "Don't you need me to tell you what to do?" she asked. I looked back at her, rolling my eyes.

"Kyu, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that she's upset." I said. "I just need to open up with something safe to cheer her up, right?"

"That's… actually not a bad idea." Kyu said, surprised. She then smiled. "Well, look at you, hitting on girls without my help! You've come a long way, champ!" She said, proud. I rolled my eyes, though I was happy she was pleased.

"Gee, thanks." I said, grinning.

"No problem." Kyu said, smiling. "Now go get her, champ!" Again, I rolled my eyes and walked up to the woman, who was still fuming over being denied her order.

"That was awfully rude of her." I said, getting the woman's attention. "You want me to get the manager so you can speak to him?"

"Thanks for the offer, but its fine." She said. "Tempting as it would be to get her fired, I doubt it would do much good." She then sighed, obviously still upset. "Still though, is a cup of coffee so much to ask for? So sorry to inconvenience you."

"Meh, you'll meet people like her, all the time." I explained. "They're only here for the paycheck and the benefits that come with it. Otherwise, it's like a temporary incarceration." The woman laughed as I finished.

"Nice analogy." She complimented. "Have you been waiting her long too?"

"Yeah, but its fine." I said, before winking at her. "I had you to admire while I wait." The woman laughed, again.

"Is that so? Well, I'm glad I could be of service." She said, smirking. "I have to admit though, that's awfully brave of you. You don't hear that very often."

"Well, I'd like to think I'm different than the average guy." I said.

"Really now? Well, I'm glad that's the case." She said. "Tell me, is this your technique? Hitting on girls at the coffee shop?"

"Is it working?" I asked, smiling.

"Well…" She said, leaving the sentence hanging for a bit. She then looked back at me with a smirk. "I wouldn't say its _not_ working." She then smiled, winking at me. "I'll you what hotshot. You caught me in a good mood. I normally don't give in so easily, so consider yourself lucky." She then held her hand for me to shake. "Lola. A pleasure."

"Charles. Happy to meet you." I said, taking her hand. She laughed, pleased.

"Nice to meet you, Charles." She said. "Now, if I can get my capp sometime in the next _year_ , maybe we can sit down and talk some more." She then smirked, crossing her legs in front of her. "I want to hear more about how attractive I am."

"Oh, I'll be happy to tell you anytime." I said, winking. She laughed again, and we continued talking. Luckily for her, her coffee arrived a few minutes later.

"So, how long have you been working as a stewardess?" I asked.

"About four years now." She answered. "Believe it or not, I really like it."

"How come?" I asked, curious.

"I like traveling to see new places." She answered. "Some people may like being cooped up indoors, but not me. If a day goes by that I haven't stepped outside, then something is wrong." She explained. "Working on airline is the only one I can see new places and new things. Plus, it helps cause I have some goals that I'm working towards."

"What kind?"

"Hmm. It's hard to say, but I want to be something like an entrepreneur." She answered. My eyes got a bit bigger in response. "I'm not sure what kind I want to be, but I definitely want to be one."

"That's an interesting goal." I said, still a bit surprised.

"I think everyone should have goals that they should aspire to achieve." She said, taking a drink of her coffee. "What about you? What are your goals?"

"Mine?" I asked, surprised. I blinked, not expecting it. I did have goals, but compared to Lola's, they seemed… miniscule. "Well… you may find this funny, but I've wanted to become a writer." I answered.

"A writer?" Lola repeated.

"Yeah." I said, scratching my head. "I know it seems boring, but I've always loved writing. I want to become a famous writer someday."

"That's… interesting." Lola said, though I know she was just trying to be nice.

"I know its not as interesting as your goal or anything, but I really wa…" As I was about to continue Lola cut me off.

"No!" She exclaimed, and then grabbed both of my hands. "Look sweetie, I think you have a fine goal. I really do."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yes!" She answered. "Tell me, are you working and striving for your goal?"

"Yes." I answered. "I'm in the middle of taking…"

"Then that's all you need to worry about." Lola said, cutting me off again. "In my personal opinion, there's no one more sad than someone who doesn't have a goal in life. A person who chooses to just stride life by, hoping for an easy run is not a person I want to be associated with." Lola said, a serious look on her face.

"Uhh… thanks." I said, a small blush on my cheeks. Lola looked at me and laughed.

"You should see your face right now. You look cute." She said, smiling at me.

"Glad to see you're amused." I said, playfully rolling my eyes. The two of us laughed and continued talking for awhile. I felt my cell phone beep, and I noticed the time. "Oh crap." I said, as the time read '9:30 A.M.' I stood up, putting some money on the table. "Sorry Lola, I gotta get going." I said.

"It's fine, sweetie." Lola said, standing up, as well. "I should get going too." She then smiled at me. "I have to keep _striving_ towards my goal, ya' know?"

"Same here." I said, smiling. "Until next time."

"Until next time." Lola said, shaking my hand, one more time, before the both of us walked out of the café and went our separate ways.

I smiled as I felt the sun in the sky, shining on me. Even though the day had already just begun, I couldn't help but feel that today was going to be very promising...

* * *

 **Well, that's the end of chapter. I think this may have possibly been my longest one, yet. As always, I thank you for reading, and I really appreciate you all for taking the time out. Like I said before, I'm not sure when my next chapter will be out. I'm having a hard time balancing school and life right now, and my classes are starting to wear me out. Keep me in your thoughts and prayers, cause I definitely need them. Until next time!**


	5. The Vigorous

Well, it didn't take as long as I thought, but I finally managed to finish this chapter. It's not as long as the others, but I wanted to hurry up and finish it so I could get to Chapter Six, since I'm really looking forward to it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

 **Tuesday, Fitness Club- Morning**

"…47 …48 …49… 50!" I counted outloud, before collapsing on the gym floor. I panted as I tried to get my breath back after doing some push-ups. I pulled on the collar of my shirt, trying to let the hot air out of my shirt. I sighed, as I stood up, trying to stretch my right arm across my neck.

"What _are_ you doing?" Kyu asked, appearing out of nowhere. I didn't bother looking at her, as I continued pulling my arm.

"Trying to get circulation flowing again." I answered. I stopped as I felt the muscles tense up. I sighed, once more, as I bounced on my toes, the energy inside my body running wild. After a short walk from the café to the gym, I immediately changed into my gym clothes, which consisted of: a blue long-sleeved t-shirt, a gray t-shirt over it, some blue gym shorts, and a pair of white socks with white and black running shoes.

Beli's yoga class hadn't started yet, and I thought it would be awkward just standing around, so I decided to try working out. After a minute of resting, I decided to try an elliptical trainer. I timed it for 15 minutes, since I didn't want to overexert myself. I panted as my feet started going up and down, like I was walking on an escalator.

"Argh, what is with you humans and exercise?" Kyu asked, appearing beside me. I looked at her, as sweat poured down my face. I didn't bother responding as I wanted to continue concentrating. I panted as I felt my heart go into overdrive. I looked at the timer as only two minutes had passed. I shook my head, trying to get the sweat off of me, as it was trickling down my head into my eyes, turning them red in the process.

Before I knew it, 15 minutes had passed by, and all the while, I was sweating like a dog. I grabbed my water bottle, put it over my head, and loosened the cap, letting the liquid pour down onto me, soaking my head and chest. The cold liquid felt good as I was no longer hot. Grabbing my white gym towel, I dried myself off. As I did, I heard a pair of female voices and looked up. My eyes grew big as I saw it was Tiffany, speaking to another young woman. My mouth fell open as I stared at her.

To say that she was gorgeous would be a complete understatement. She was perhaps the prettiest woman I'd seen. And trust me; I'd seen a lot of beautiful women in the last two days. She had a flawless body with curves in the right places, as well as a large chest. She looked to be Hispanic, though I couldn't say for sure. Her eyes were unlike any I'd seen before, as I don't recall seeing anyone with violet eyes before. They matched her black hair which was fastened by a white headband and went all the way down to her hips. She had on a pair of gold, heart-shaped earrings that were hidden in between her hair. She was wearing a pale blue tank top with blue horizontal stripes, a pair of short navy blue pants and a pair of light brown sandals.

Before I could stop myself, I discreetly moved closer to them and got on a machine, so as to hear them talk.

"Eavesdropping now, mister?" Kyu said, smirking at me. "For shame."

"Shut up." I said, embarrassed. I pretended to work on the machine, as I listened to the Tiffany and the woman talk. I was surprised when I heard the woman had a kid. _"She's a mother?"_ I thought surprised. I discreetly took another look at the woman. _"I envy the guy who knocked her up."_ I thought. I mentally hit myself, knowing it was wrong to think such thoughts. I looked as Tiffany then ran off, leaving the woman. _"They must be good friends…"_

"Man, will you get a load of these two…" Kyu asked, looking at the woman's chest. "I'd kill to have breasts like that." I rolled my eyes, not surprised in the least at Kyu's perverted behavior. She looked back at me. "I hate to say it dude, but this chick may be way out of your league."

"Gee, thanks Kyu." I said, frowning, as I went back to work on the machine.

"But… there may be hope." She said, floating by me. I looked at her, still frowning. "She's probably looking for a decent guy because of all that baby mama drama, ya' know?"

"Yeah," I said, as I stopped working to catch my breath.

"So just try not to be a douche for like, five minutes, K?" She suggested. I rolled my eyes.

"Kyu, if that's all the advice you have, even if I could have told you _that_." I said, frowning.

"Well that's good!" Kyu said, happily. "It shows just how far along you've come since we started." Again, I rolled my eyes, though I was happy at her compliment.

"Thanks Kyu." I said, smirking.

"No prob, champ." She said, smiling. "Oh, she's coming over here! Show time!" Kyu said, before disappearing.

"Hey, are you finished with that machine?" The woman asked. "I have one more set left to jam out."

"Huh?" I asked, surprised. "Oh! Uhh… yeah, just finished." I said, getting up. "She's all yours."

"Awesome, thanks so much." She said, smiling.

"No problem." I said, smiling back. I looked at her, as she adjusted the machine and began working out. As I watched her, I stared closely at her face. She really was beautiful. I wondered if she modeled or something.

"You okay, dude?" The woman asked.

"Huh?!" I exclaimed.

"You were staring at me." She said. "Is there something on my face?"

"Oh! Uhh, no, it's just…" I began, trying to think of a good excuse. "…Have I seen you T.V. or something? You look really familiar…"

"Really?!" The girl exclaimed. "Oh my gosh! I mean, I've done a couple of local commercials, but I never thought I'd actually be recognized!" I blinked, slightly surprised my lie actually worked, though it did prove that I was right that she modeled.

"Well, with your face and body, its no surprise you'd be recognized." I said, making her laugh.

"Thanks, that's really nice of you." She said, smiling. "You must be new here. I don't think I've seen you around before." She said, explaining. "I like to think I know all the regulars here on a first name basis."

"Wow, really?" I said, impressed.

"Yeah, you could kinda say I'm obsessed with this place." She said, laughing at her own joke.

"That's cool. Not too many people are interested in getting healthy and active these days." I said.

"I know, right?!" The woman said, agreeing with me. "And people wonder why they have so many health problems, nowadays. They don't realize the one true way for a healthy lifestyle is to get active. It would solve a lot of problems." I nodded, agreeing with her point. I couldn't say much though, since I didn't really get active either. I liked to talk walks around the neighborhood, but other than that, I didn't do much exercise.

"Oh, I'm sorry." The woman said, apologizing. "I'm not holding you up from exercising, am I?"

"Oh no," I said, waving off her apology. "I'm actually here to attend the yoga studio. Beli invited me yesterday to attend." I explained.

"Wow really?" The woman said. "Well trust me when I say this, you're going to love it. The instructor is awesome!"

"I agree." I said, smiling at her.

"Oh, by the way, my name's Kyanna." She said, introducing herself. "Will I be seeing you here more often?"

"My name is Charles." I said, introducing myself. "And, if you're here when I come here, then I suppose I can stay longer." I said, with a smirk, making Kyanna laugh.

"Great, I'm counting on it!" She said. For the next five minutes, we sat there talking to one another. From what I noticed from her mannerisms and dialect, Kyanna was a bit of a tomboy. When I brought up that fact, she simply laughed.

"I'm the oldest in my family, but I have two brothers and three sisters." She explained.

"Wow." I said, impressed.

"What about you? You have any siblings?" She asked.

"Yeah, I have a younger brother and an older sister." I answered. "Both are a pain, but I love them both, just the same. I had to help support my sister since she's a mom now."

"You're an uncle?" Kyanna asked, surprised.

"Yeah, for two years now." I answered.

"Oh, I see." Kyanna asked. I noticed she seemed a little depressed.

"Something wrong?" I asked, concerned.

"No, its nothing." She said, though I knew she was lying. "It's just…" She said, before stopping. She then looked at me, a bit worried. "…Was your sister's pregnancy… unplanned?" she asked.

"Huh? Uhh… it kinda was, yeah. But she had it, regardless cause she didn't want an abortion." I answered. "Personally, I believe whether a woman has a child or not should be left up to them."

"Really?" She asked, surprised. I nodded in confirmation, making her sigh. "That's good, and I agree. Not many people feel that way these days." I nodded in agreement, and I could see her cheering back up, which was good.

"Oh, I didn't know you two knew each other." Someone said. Kyanna and I turned around and looked as it was Beli, walking in with a yoga bag around her arm. I blinked as I looked at her. She looked entirely different from the first time we met. For starters, her hair was a lot longer now, and seemed to go all the way down to her groin area. She was wearing a short purple top that showed off all of her midriff along with a pair of sheer, loose pants that showed some a pair of shorts underneath. Finally, she was wearing a gold bracelet on her right wrist, a necklace and a pair of gold shoes.

"Hey Beli! Glad you're here." Kyanna said, running up to her.

"Hey again." I said, greeting her.

"Glad to see you both." Beli greeted with a smile. She then looked at me. "Are you ready to enter the world of Yoga?"

"Uhh… I guess?" I answered, nervous. Beli giggled.

"Don't worry. It'll be fun. We'll be starting off easy today, I promise." She said, assuring me. She then headed for a side door in the gym. "Come on, we're just about to get started."

"Come on, dude!" Kyanna said, grabbing my wrist and dragging me along.

For the next hour or so, I spent most of my time trying to copy the weird and diverse stretches that Beli was instructing the class on. I opted to stand in the front, so it wouldn't look weird or perverted that I was standing behind a bunch of women. But Kyanna suggested I join her in the middle, since the front was for experts. It was hard at first, but with Kyanna's help, I think I did fairly well. Most of the people in the class weren't even concerned about me, to my relief. Before I knew it, the class had ended.

I sighed as I walked out of the room, cracking my back.

"Nice work, dude!" Kyanna said, slapping me on my back. "You kept up pretty good in there."

"Uhh… thanks." I said, rubbing the spot on my back, where she hit me.

"Yes, you did pretty well for your first time, Charles." Beli said, coming out of the studio. "What did you think?"

"Oh, uhh… it was interesting." I said, smiling.

"I'm glad." Beli said, smiling. "Does that mean you'll be joining us again?"

"Huh?!" I exclaimed. "Oh, well…"

"Of course he will!" Kyanna said, putting her arm around me, making me blush. "After all, he did promise he'd come to the gym more often and work out, right?" She asked, looking at me.

"Uhh… r-right." I said, stuttering. This was the first time I ever actually had a girl hang on to me. Yeah, I met Jessie the night before, but I could actually Kyanna's chest on me.

"Great!" Beli said, happily. "I won't be able to have class tomorrow, since I'm needed somewhere else." She explained. "But, I'll be sure to tell you ahead of time when I'm available."

"Oh cool." I said, rubbing my neck after Kyanna had let me go. I really didn't know what to think or say about any of this.

"Do you mind if I get your phone number?" Beli asked. "I feel it would easier contacting you if I have it."

"Oh, uhh… sure." I said, taking out my phone and handing it to her. She quickly jotted it down, and handed it back.

"Me too!" Kyanna said, snatching it out of my hand. "I need your number to call you in case you ever decide to get lazy." She said, winking at me.

"Uhh… sure." I repeated. I blushed, as I scratched the back of my head, awkwardly.

"There!" Kyanna said, handing her phone back to me.

"Oh my, seems you're becoming quite popular, Charles." Beli said, laughing. I blushed in response.

"Thanks." I said, embarrassed.

"Well, I have to get going." Beli said. "I hope you two have a wonderful day." She then turned to leave.

"Later Beli!" Kyanna called, after her.

"Later." I said, waving goodbye to her. Afterwards, I headed into the men's locker room for a quick shower to relieve myself of the funk and sweat I was covered in. Afterwards, I dressed myself in a pair of new clothes. I exited the locker room, and prepared to leave the gym.

"Hey Charles!" Someone called out to me. I looked as it was Kyanna. "Done for the day?" She asked.

"Yeah, I gotta get going." I answered. "I have classes in about an hour."

"That's cool." She said, smiling. She then frowned, a bit upset. "Hey listen, I wanted to apologize for earlier." She said.

"Earlier?" I asked, confused.

"Yeah, you know the thing about your sister and all." She explained. "I kinda got nosy and it was rude of me."

"No, it was fine." I said. "The fact that you cared about her says a lot about you."

"Really?" She asked.

"Yeah, definitely." I said.

"Well, that's good. Thanks." She said, smiling.

"No problem."

"Well, I won't hold you up." She said. "Have a good rest of your day."

"You too." I said, turning around, prepared to leave.

"Oh, and by the way," Kyanna said, calling out to me. I looked as she was smiling, though there was something scary about it. "I meant what I said. If you start to get lazy, I will call you and bug you about it." She said.

"Uhh… right." I said, scared. I quickly walked out of the gym, and it was only when I was a few feet that I let out the air I was holding in.

" _Guess I'm in this for the long run…"_ I thought. Sighing, a decided to do a quick jog to the university, if only to get rid of this nagging filling following me around. I had to wonder what else was going to happen today…

* * *

And here's the ending. I was planning on making this chapter longer, but I decided not to, because, as I said, I wanted to hurry up and get to Chapter Six. Again, sorry if its not very long. But I promise you, the next chapter will more than make up for it. Until next time!


	6. The Unpleasant and the Withdrawn

No, your eyes do not deceive you. Chapter Six is already up and running! I had you going, didn't I? I was writing this in the process of writing Chapter Five, and I saved it all on my notepad. Then it was a simple job or copying and pasting it. I hope you enjoy it. This chapter was undoubtedly my favorite out of all of them I've written so far.

* * *

 **Tuesday, Shopping Mall- Late Afternoon**

"I really hope you're satisfied," I told Kyu, as I laid out all of the clothes I had purchased for the cashier. "Because these clothes, altogether, cost more than what I make in one week."

As soon as classes had ended, Kyu said we were taking a trip to the mall. I didn't really know why, since browsing at the mall wasn't really one of my favorite things to do. She didn't say what exactly we were doing. All she said was that I was going to need some new clothes, as the ones I was wearing were not 'doing it for me', whatever that meant.

"Trust me, champ. These clothes are going to look so _fly_ on you!" Kyu exclaimed, happily. "Besides, what's a couple of dollars worth to looking good? Am I right?"

"Yeah, that's real easy to say when its not _your_ money that you're spending." I said, annoyed. I slipped the cashier my debit card, and looked as the price rung up to 100+ dollars. My mouth fell open, and my eyes grew big, as if they were going to fall out of my head. I looked back at Kyu, my right eye twitching. "Okay, are you _absolutely_ sure these clothes are necessary?" I asked, near tears.

"Yes, they are! Just trust me, okay?" Kyu asked, frowning. I sighed, and typed in my PIN number, and I felt like crying as I could feel the money in my account dwindling down to nothing. I sighed as I picked up my shopping bags and walked out of clothing store.

"My mom is going to kill me." I said, speaking to myself.

"Not when she sees just how good you're going to be looking!" Kyu said, as she walked behind me. I looked back at her, annoyed.

"Ya' know, for the amount these clothes cost, we could have just gone to Goodwill or something." I said, complaining.

"Wah, wah, wah!" Kyu said, mocking me. "Buck up, will ya?! I promise, if these clothes don't make you a hit, I'll pay you back every cent."

"And how exactly are you going to do that?" I asked, skeptical. "Do you even have any money?"

"Course, I do!" Kyu answered. "It's just not money that I think will work here." She finished, meekly.

"Great..." I said, rolling my eyes. I sighed, once more, as Kyu and I prepared to leave the mall. As we reached the exit, I looked up as I heard yelling. It sounded like someone arguing. Turning around, I looked a ways bit to see it was Kyanna and some other girl.

" _What's Kyanna doing here?"_ I wondered. It was then I remembered what her job was. _"Oh yeah, she works as a hair stylist."_ I looked at the other girl, and my eyes grew big as I realized who it was.

"Oh no..." I said, outloud.

"What's wrong?" Kyu asked. I didn't answer. I walked closer to where Kyanna and the girl were arguing. I pretended to browse the items in the shopping window, whilst listening to the women arguing. Apparently, it was over the woman's hair or some nonsense. I felt my eyes narrow at the woman who was arguing with Kyanna.

"Damn bitch." I thought, glaring at her. The argument soon ended, as the woman walked, apparently pleased that she had won their little "fight".

"Ooh, she's a little spitfire, isn't she?" Kyu said, staring at her.

" **No**." I said, glaring at Kyu, as I already knew what she was thinking.

"Huh? No what?" Kyu asked, confused.

"I already know what you're up to." I explained. "I've been with you long enough now to know what it is you're thinking." I sighed, trying to ease my face up so that I wasn't glaring. I rubbed my forehead, and then looked at Kyu, frowning.

"Look Kyu, you can have me talk or hit on any other girl in this place, and I won't mind. Not at all." I then glared and pointed at the woman, who we were presently talking about. "But there is no way in hell you are forcing me to converse with that... _demon_!" I said, not having anything better to call her.

"What's wrong?" Kyu asked, upset. "Do you know her?"

"Of course I know her! Practically everyone on campus knows her." I explained. "That's Audrey Belrose, the biggest female dog in our entire school. Maybe even in this whole city."

"Oh come on." Kyu said, frowning with her arms crossed.

"It's the truth, Kyu." I said. "That girl is known for using boys to get her to buy stuff. Then, when their money is all gone, she dumps them, and treats them like trash, afterwards."

"Is this coming from personal experience?" Kyu asked, curious.

"No," I answered. "And for that, I am thankful."

"Well then, how do you know all that stuff?" Kyu asked.

"Her reputation is well-known throughout the campus, Kyu." I explained. "Ask almost any of the males on campus, and they'll tell you about her." Truthfully, I couldn't say for certain whether any of what the boys on campus said is true. This was all just hearsay, really.

"Is she... fast?"

"I don't know." I answered. "From the way I've heard her talk, it sounds like it. But none of the guys have ever mentioned her having sex with them."

"Huh." Kyu said, as she looked back at Audrey, who still had a frown on her face. "Have you had any encounters with her?" I frowned at that question, as I remembered my previous encounter with Audrey about a week or so ago...

 ***Flashback***

 **Tuesday, Blooms' Supermarket- Evening**

"Thank you for you shopping at Blooms'." I said, as I handed the customer his money, along with his receipt. "We hope to see you again." I said, with a fake smile on my face. I sighed as the man walked away and rubbed my cheeks. It was a pain having to smile all day at customers, especially when they didn't give two craps about you, and only wanted their money back.

Before I was "promoted" to stocker, I used to work as a return clerk at Blooms'. I used to complain about the amount of customer interaction I had to do, but compared to having to move heavy boxes around and work with a douche of a co-worker, that job was a paradise. I sighed as I again rubbed my cheeks, as they were aching like crazy. I heard someone approaching and quickly my fake smile was back on my face.

"Hi there, welcome to Blooms'. Can I help you?" I asked, repeating the standard greeting for the store.

"Yeah, you can help by doing your fucking job and giving my money back for this shitty dress." The customer said, throwing the dress on the counter for me to see. I blinked in surprised, and took a good look at the person before me. The person was a woman with a slim build and fairly small breasts.

From her appearance, it was obvious this girl loved red. She had red eyes that matched her faded red hair that went all the way down to her mid-back, and had a black rose with a white veil on top of it. She was wearing a red dress that look a bit like those Lolita dresses you see on anime T.V. shows. Her shirt was red plaid with white squares on it. It was adorned with a red and black patterned ribbon that was attached to the front of it. She had on a red skirt with three ruffles; all three were red, but the one in the middle had some white highlights.

She had a black bow on her back and wore a pair of white high heels that also had black bows attached to them. Finally, she had another ribbon tied around her left ankle. I blinked at her, wondering if this chick was some sort of cosplayer or something.

"Would you hurry up, please?" The woman complained. "I don't have all day." I ignored the woman's ramblings and took a look at the dress. My eyes must have been deceiving me, because this dress was absolutely ruined. It was a royal blue and white dress that looked similar to the one she was wearing. Only you couldn't tell by how badly it looked.

"Uhm, do you have a receipt, miss?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"A receipt?" The woman repeated. "No, I don't have a fucking receipt. Just give me money back!"

" _Is this chick serious right now?"_ I thought. From the expression on her face, it was obvious that she was.

"Yeah, I'm sorry miss, but I can't give you a refund for this." I said, calmly.

"What do you mean, 'you can't give me a refund'?!" She yelled.

"Exactly what I said, miss. I can't give you a refund." I responded.

"And why the hell not?" She demanded. I frowned. This woman was seriously starting to get on my nerves.

"Well, let's see…" I said, counting off the reasons. "One, I'm pretty sure we don't sell this dress here." I said, pointing to it. "I should know. I used to work in the clothing department." That was an elaborate lie, but she didn't need to know that.

"Two, even if we did sell this dress here, you don't have a receipt." I explained. "I can't give you a refund without proof of purchase." I mean, that was common sense, right? How do you expect to get money back if you don't have a receipt saying you bought the thing in the first place?

"And lastly, even if you did have a receipt, I still couldn't give you a refund, because this dress is absolutely ruined." I said, pointing to it. "There are make-up stains all over it, and there's a big hole where the tag used to be." I explained.

"Well duh!" The girl said, as if it was obvious. "That means its no good anymore!"

" _Obviously."_ I thought. I sighed and looked back at the woman. "Look, I'm really sorry, but I'm afraid our policy states that we cannot return a damage or misused product." I stated. "And as I said, even if this item wasn't damaged, you still need proof of purchase before I can give you a refund."

"Peh, whatever!" The girl stated, apparently tired of arguing. "Keep your shitty dress!" And with that, the girl turned around and walked away, leaving me alone.

"And a good day to you to, miss." I said, sighing.

 ***End Flashback***

"Wow, that sucks." Kyu said, as I finished telling my tale.

"Yes, it does." I said, frowning. "It was only later on that I found that she attended the same university as me. I've avoided her ever since cause I don't want her to remember me." I said, picking up my bags. "So, now that you know the story, let's just go, okay?" I prepared to leave until Kyu called me back.

"I still think you should talk to her." Kyu said. I turned back around, glaring at the love fairy.

"Kyu..." I began, before Kyu stopped me.

"Look, I've had clients who dealt with girls like her." Kyu explained. "We refer to them as 'mega bitches'." I felt myself frown at that term, but Kyu pretended not to notice. "There's only one to beat them."

"Walk away, and pretend they don't exist?" I asked.

"Nooo..." Kyu answered. "Confidence."

"Confidence?" I asked, repeated.

"Yes, that is the key here." Kyu explained. "You have to let her know that **you** are the one in charge, and that her bullshit is **not** going to faze you."

"And what happens if it does?" I asked, skeptical.

" _Don't_ let it." Kyu expressed. "This is really simple, champ. Whatever she says or does, just don't lose your cool. No matter what."

"Don't lose my cool?" I repeated. But Kyu had already disappeared. I sighed, contemplating running away, but I looked as Audrey was steadily approaching. I pretended not to notice her, as I continued surveying the items in the display case.

"Uhh, could you move please?" Audrey asked, as she approached. "You're kind of in my way." I frowned, as I glared at her.

" _Is it so hard for you to just walk around, you sorry, little...?"_ I thought. I sighed, calming myself down, and looked back at the girl. "You can leave, _after_ I'm done checking you out." I said, looking at her.

"Uhh... eww?" She said, disgusted.

" _Oh trust me honey, the feeling is mutual."_ I thought.

"What are you even doing at the mall, anyway?" She asked. "Besides creeping on girls."

" _Trust me, even if I was creeping on girls, you'd be the last one on that list."_ I thought.

"I'm here to pick up some condoms for our date tonight." I said, smirking. Inside, I felt like vomiting.

" _Argh, I can't believe those words just came out of my mouth!"_ I thought. I looked as Audrey laughed.

"Is that so?" She asked. "Well, sorry to disappoint, but you're going to have to do a lot better than that.

" _Peh, yeah right. Gimme a break, you Prima Donna."_

"Buuut, you did put in an effort, I guess. And you are kinda cute." Audrey said, looking at me. I mentally rolled my eyes at her words. "I'll tell you what, maybe if you're lucky, we can go and get high sometime. You down?"

" _Argh! This girl does drugs too?! Why am I not even remotely surprised?"_

"Meh, I've been known to get a little stupid from time to time." I said, shrugging.

"That works for me." Audrey said, before introducing herself. I smiled at her, while inside I was rolling my eyes.

" _Too bad I already know who you are, ya stuck-up little..."_

"Now that we're done getting to know each other, could you do me a favor, and get the fuck outta my way, please?" She asked.

"Didn't I say earlier you could leave after I'm done looking at you?" I argued.

"Peh, whatever!" Audrey said, walking away. "If you want to look at me so bad, I guess you can follow me around while I shop for some clothes." I almost was ready to refuse. Instead, I simply sighed and followed after her.

After that, Audrey and I proceeded to visit almost every store in the mall. Whether we were shopping for clothes, jewelry, cosmetics or whatever else she was interested in buying. Since I was apparently "interested in her", I was given the unfortunate job of having to lug around everything she bought. As much as I wanted to complain, I had to remember Kyu's advice: to not let anything this girl said or do get to me. Of course, that was easier said than done.

After about an hour had passed, we were finally done, thankfully.

"Thanks for holding my bags." Audrey said, as she grabbed them from me. "At least you're useful for one thing, I'll admit."

"Gee, thanks." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Anyway, if you want to get high or something sometimes, just give me a call." She said. I looked as she tossed a piece of paper at me with her number on it. "But don't fucking stalk me or anything, or I'll call the police on you." She threatened. Again, I rolled my eyes, not paying her threats any attention. "Anyway, I guess I'll see you around." She said, walking out of the mall. I watched her go, and it was only until she was out of my sight, that I heavily sighed.

 **Tuesday, Bedroom- Evening**

"Nice job, champ." Kyu said, as we arrived at my apartment. "I told you: confidence is the key."

"Yeah, yeah." I said, as I unlocked the front door. "I still don't relish the idea of talking her anytime soon."

"Just give it some time." Kyu advised. "Girls like her act strong and tough on the outside, but trust me, on the inside, they're as fragile as newborn children."

"Really?" I asked, looking back at Kyu.

"Really. Believe me, this comes from years of experience." She answered. I shrugged and headed into my room with my new clothes.

"Now that we're home, can you please explain to me what was so important I had to spend almost all of my money on clothes for?" I asked.

"Well…" Kyu began. "I've noticed the amount of progress you've had in the last two days. And you done well, so far." She said. "But, part of dating is getting out of your comfort zone. Now don't me get wrong, you've done a lot of that in the past two days. But we need to take it to the next level."

"Next level?" I repeated.

"Yup." Kyu answered, reaching into one of my bags. "Which is why tonight," she began, pulling out a random shirt. "…we're going out tonight!"

"Going out?!" I shouted.

"Yup! A night on the town!" Kyu answered, excited. "And I know the perfect place."

"Where's that?" I asked, worried.

"This!" She said, shoving a piece of paper in my face. Taking it, I looked as it was a flier for the local nightclub called, Lusties.

"A nightclub?!" I shouted.

"Yup! They were handing those at the university today, so I figured, what better way to spend a night out?" She said, happily.

"Okay, I'm all for night outs, but you couldn't choose a better place than a nightclub?" I asked, upset. "You couldn't choose an easier place, like a theater or something?"

"Oh, come on, champ." Kyu begged. "Just give it a try. Who knows you may find another cute girl there to talk to?" I rolled my eyes at her, and sighed. I took one last look at the clothes in my bag.

" _I'm going to regret this, aren't I?"_

 **Tuesday, Lusties' Nightclub- Nighttime**

I walked into the club, after waiting in the long line for 20 minutes or so, and was immediately hit by a blast of loud music and screaming, as the club was in full effect. I cringed as I walked through the crowds, trying to get to a less crowded area. Kyu must have already headed for the dance floor, as she was nowhere in sight.

" _What the hell was I thinking?"_ I thought to myself. _"What in the world made me think that coming to a nightclub was a good idea?"_ I finally managed to get through the crowds (after about 10 straight minutes), and over near the booth where the drinks were being sold. I sighed as I sat down, trying to get my bearings together.

"Woohoo!" Kyu yelled as she sat down next to me. I looked as she was in her regular attire from when we first met. "Great party, huh champ?"

"Yeah, sure." I said, sarcastically.

"Aw, come on, champ!" Kyu trying to cheer me up. "Relax, have some fun."

"You know what will be even more fun?" I asked. "When we leave."

"Come on, champ! Don't be like that." Kyu said, pouting. "It's only bad now, because you're finally getting out of your element. Just give this place a chance, and I guarantee you'll love it."

"Yeah, sure." I said, rolling my eyes. Kyu must have taken that the wrong way, as she just sighed and headed back to the dance floor. I opted to get something to drink, even though I wasn't in the mood for liquor. Sighing, I decided to settle for a lime margarita. Dipping a straw in my cup, I softly sipped my drink, whilst watching all of the going-ons in the dance club. Most people, obviously, were dancing to the beat of the techno music that was playing throughout the club. It must have been set on repeat, since its been playing in a continuous loop for a while now.

Sighing, once again, I sipped some of my drink as my eyes wondered the club floor. They stopped as I spotted a couple of people I recognized. Well, I recognized one, but the other one was vaguely familiar. I looked as one of the girls was Audrey. I scoffed, not really surprised to see her here. It would be even more of a surprise if she wasn't here, since she claimed that this was her favorite hangout. I wonder how much money she gives to this place a week...

Not really in the mood to talk to her again today, my eyes turned to her friend, whom she was apparently arguing with. She had a very slim physique. Her blue eyes seemed to go together with her short blue hair that extended to her shoulders. She was wearing a pair of rectangular glasses. She was wearing a gray sweater that was obviously too big for her, since one part of it was sliding off her left shoulder, exposing one of her bra straps. If she noticed, she didn't seem to care. She was also wearing a pair of white shorts with some black trims. Finally, she had on a pair of black and white shoes.

I looked as Audrey apparently had enough of her friend and stormed off to go somewhere in the club. As she sat down on one of the many chairs present through the club, I continued observing.

" _I know her from somewhere."_ I thought.

"Aww shit..." Kyu said, appearing beside me.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I was afraid we were gonna run into one of these." Kyu said, pointing at the girl I was observing.

"What about her?" I asked.

"Doesn't seem like she's a very big fan of people." Kyu explained.

"No kidding." I looked as the girl's scowl and posture caused everyone to give her a wide berth.

"Hmm..." Kyu said, thinking. "But, maybe your weirdness will work out here."

"My weirdness?" I repeated.

"Yeah! Ya' know, your 'you-ness'. The stuff that makes you, you." Kyu explained, confusing me even more.

"My personality, you mean?"

"Whatever! It doesn't matter what its called. The point is, you have it!" Kyu explained. "Anyway, I'm not exactly sure what's the right call with this one. I've never bothered with these girls before. I'd say we shouldn't bother with this one, but she's really cute."

"So, what should I do?" I asked.

"Well," Kyu began. "I never thought I'd say this, but for once, just... be yourself."

"Be myself?" I repeated. "That's it?"

"Yeah, that's all I've got." Kyu said, looking apologetic. "Sorry."

"It's fine." I said, patting Kyu's shoulder before I stood up and headed for the girl. I inhaled some breathe, before slowly exhaling.

"...Hi." I said, greeting the girl. The girl looked at me, frowning.

"Hiii... ?" She repeated, still frowning.

"You look uncomfortable." I said, stating the obvious. "This place isn't your scene?"

"No, it's not." The girl answered, annoyed.

"Well, its not mine, either." I said, truthfully. The girl cocked an eyebrow, as if she didn't believe me.

"So then, why are you here?" she asked, still frowning. I shrugged, in response.

"My friend dragged me out here." I answered.

"I see." The girl said. She then sighed, before speaking again. "Look, no offense or anything, but can you please leave me be?" She asked. "Nothing personal, but I just want to be left alone for now. There's plenty of other girls here for you to talk to, if you want." she said.

"Oh, uhh... sure." I said, turning to leave. "Sorry to bother you."

"Whatever." The girl said, getting up and leaving, herself. I sighed as I watched her go before making my way back to Kyu.

"Don't feel bad, champ." Kyu said, trying to cheer me up. "That girl was a lost cause to begin with. There's a reason I don't bother with them." Kyu said.

"It's fine." I said, not really upset. "Truthfully, I kinda feel for her."

"Really?" Kyu asked, surprised. "Why?"

"Because, believe it or not," I began, before taking a sip of my drink. "She kinda reminds me of me.

"Of you?" Kyu repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, she's me before I met you." I explained. "I wasn't a fan of people, either. And I certainly didn't like venturing out of my comfort zone." I looked at Kyu, serious. "You helped break me out of that. And you know what, I'm glad." I said, smiling. "If you hadn't, I might have ended up like her."

Kyu looked at me, surprised. She then smiled and hugged me, shocking me.

"Aww, don't mention it, champ!" Kyu said, happily. "I'm glad to help! Besides, we still have more work to do." She said. "Let's see... how about..." Kyu began, as scoured the dance floor for any other girls.

"Wait." I said, to Kyu.

"Huh? What's up?" She asked.

"That girl... she's coming over here." I told her.

"Really?!" Kyu exclaimed. She looked as the girl was, indeed, walking over to where I was. "Wow, I'm shocked..." Kyu said, surprised. "I guess you made a better impression on her than we thought." Kyu said, before vanishing.

"Ummm, hey..." The girl said, shyly.

"...Hey." I repeated.

"You know what? It's Nikki... my name." The girl, now known as Nikki, said, introducing herself. "Maybe I was a little big quick to judge... force of habit. Sorry."

"Oh, uhh... its no problem." I said, honestly.

"No, it is." Nikki said, cutting me off. "I'm not the type of girl that likes... talking to people. But still... that's no excuse for rudeness."

"Hey Nik, I said its' fine." I said, cutting her off. "I know exactly what you mean. People aren't exactly my cup of tea, either."

"Oh. Well... that's cool, I guess." Nikki said, scratching the back of her head.

"Yeah..." I said. I looked as she was standing there awkwardly, and I pointed to a seat, next to me. "You wanna... sit?"

"Huh? Oh, uhh... sure." She said, taking the seat. With that, the two of us sat near each other. We really didn't have anything to say to one another, since we didn't know what to say. I scratched my head, trying to think of something to talk about. "So, uhh… what do you like to most of the time?"

"Huh?" Nikki responded, surprised. "Oh, uhh… I like to play video games."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "Same here."

"Really?" She asked, also surprised. She then narrowed her eyes, a bit suspicious. "What kind?"

"I like old-school games." I explained. "Side-scrolling brawlers, one-on-one, maze games, etc."

"Thank goodness." She said, relieved.

"Hmm?" I asked.

"Oh sorry," She said. "Its' just I thought you were another one of those FPS guys."

"No, those games are too repetitive for me." I answered.

"Same here." She said. With that, we sat in silence once more. I looked upward, trying to think of something else for us to talk about.

"Hey, do you mind if I ask you something?" Nikki asked, getting my attention.

"Oh, uhh… sure. What's up?" I asked.

"Why did you initially come and talk to me?" She asked, looking a bit embarrassed.

"Huh? Oh, well…" I began, blushing. "Truthfully, I thought you looked really cute standing there by yourself." I answered.

"What?" Nikki asked, surprised. "Wow…"

"Sorry, I didn't mean…" I began.

"No, its fine." She said, cutting me off. I looked as she there was a bit of pink on her face. "Its just, no one's ever really said that to me before."

"No one's ever called you 'cute' before?" I asked, surprised.

"…Not really." She answered, looking away. "I'm not exactly society's version of 'cute'."

"Well people must be blind then." I said, seriously. "From where I'm sitting, you look cute enough for me."

"What?" Nikki said, facing me again, blushing.

"It's true." I said, smiling.

"Wow," Nikki said, blushing again. "Uhm… thanks."

"No problem." I said, still smiling. "Besides, I'd rather a girl not be cute, but still be a nice person." I explained. "Looks really do nothing for me if you're a piece of shit inside, ya' know?"

"Oh, I'm with you." Nikki said, looking back at me. "My friend, Audrey, is hot, but she is such a bitch." I looked as Nikki had a disgusted look on her face, as she talked about her.

"You know Audrey?" I asked, even though I knew the answer.

"Yeah, doesn't everybody?" She answered.

"No, its just I didn't think Audrey really had any friends." I answered.

"Audrey is _not_ my friend." Nikki said, scowling. "She says we're friends, but I really could care less about her."

"You don't like her?" I asked.

"No, I don't." She answered. "She does nothing but drag me out to these places, knowing full well they I don't like them, and then has the gall to get upset at me whenever I tell her off."

"She can't find anyone else to come to with her?" I asked.

"Apparently not." Nikki answered. I looked as she was visibly upset, and I tried to think of something else to talk about.

"Hey, you wanna go take a walk?" I asked.

"Huh? Oh, uhh… sure." She answered. The two of us got up from our seats and walked to the entrance of the club. We walked outside and I breathed in the fresh night air. I looked upward into the sky and looked as the stars were out. I stood on the wall of the building, with Nikki beside me.

"It's beautiful out here." I said, smiling at the sky.

"Yeah…" Nikki said, looking upward. She then looked at me. "Hey, do you believe we're alone in the universe?"

"Alone?" I repeated. "You mean like other life forms and stuff?"

"Yeah." She answered.

"I don't think so." I answered. "I don't know why, but I always get the feeling we're not. I mean, this world is just to big enough for only us to be here, ya' know?" This was actually true. I always been interested in the stars and galaxies. And the more I researched, the more I thought that there had to be more than just humans living in this world.

"You're not alone." Nikki said. "I know this may seem nuts, but I have actually seen some strange stuff at night."

"Really? Like what?" I asked, curious.

"I can't really say. It's just… weird." She said, still looking up at the sky. "Some nights when I can't fall asleep, I always look up at the sky and wonder what would happen if I just met someone, not from this world."

As I listened to Nikki, I took a good look at her. Looking at her now, you'd never think this young, smart woman could be capable of such intelligence.

"You are truly a unique person." I said, smiling at her.

"Huh? Unique?" She said, surprised.

"Yes, unique." I said, still smiling.

"Oh, uhh… thanks." She said, blushing. I smiled again, and we continued staring up at the night sky.

"Hey…" Nikki said.

"Yeah?" I answered.

"Out of curiosity, how long do you normally make a girl wait after getting her number?" She asked. I blinked, surprised by the question.

"Well… if I like her enough, I may just call her that same day." I answered.

"Really?" She asked.

"Really."

"Oh. Well, that's good." She said, turning her head away. I looked at her, wondering if I upset at her.

"You wanna head back inside?" I asked.

"Sure." Nikki said. With that, the two of us re-entered the club. We looked as our seats had already been taken, which meant we were left standing by the wall. We stood there in silence for a bit, until we looked as someone approached us; a familiar red-headed girl.

"There you are." Audrey said, walking up to Nikki and I. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"I was outside." Nikki answered, scowling at her.

"Well whatever." Audrey said, not really caring. "Come on, let's go. The guy I came with ran out of drugs, and I'm bored." I looked as she didn't even seem to notice me. I don't know if it was because she didn't recognize me, or if she was intentionally ignoring me. Either way, I wasn't complaining.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm coming. Hold on." Nikki said. She turned to me, and I could see a blush on her cheeks, even though her head was down. She slipped me a piece of paper and quickly walked away. Audrey, who was confused, looked at me briefly, before following after her friend.

I blinked, surprised and looked down at the slip of paper. On it was Nikki's phone number, as well as the words, 'Call me sometime.' I blinked, still surprised. Before I knew it, a smile found its way onto my face.

"Hey champ!" I heard someone call out. I looked up as I saw it was Kyu. "Ready to go? The party is winding down, and I'm tired as hell."

"Yeah." I answered, following Kyu out of the club. As we walked, I looked at Nikki's number again, and smiled.

"So champ," Kyu called out to me. "You've met a lot of girls these past few days. Who are you going to go after first?"

"Huh?" I responded. Kyu rolled her eyes.

"Who are you going to pursue first?" She repeated. "You can pick whomever, but you better decide soon." She warned. "Those girls aren't going to wait forever, ya' know."

I thought about what Kyu said, and considered her words. I did need to choose what I was going to do. I know she planned on making me a 'play-boy'. But did I really want that? And if not, which woman was I going to go after first. It seemed I had a lot of thinking to do. But I wasn't worried. I knew I would come to a decision soon…

* * *

And here's the ending! So, what did you all think? As I said, I was really proud of this chapter. I mainly enjoyed it because Audrey and Nikki's characters were a lot easier to write than the others. Plus, I see a lot of myself in Nikki, so writing from her perspective was very simple.

As the ending foretold, the main character has met all of the available girls, so far. Now the only question is, which girl is he going after first? But that's for you to decide, not me. I'll be putting a post on my profile for everyone to vote on which girl they want Charles to go after. Please make to vote honestly. And if you can, get others to vote, as well. I'll leave the poll up for a week or two, before I take it down and start writing the new chapter.

Again, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, because I thoroughly enjoyed writing. Again, if you want to review you are welcome too. I would be happy if you did. Until next time!

P.S. That flashback scene with Charles and Audrey was actually based off a personal experience of mine. Let's just say being a return clerk isn't all its cracked up to be. Trust me.


	7. A Promise on Both Sides

Finally, after a long time, I managed to get this chapter up and posted! I apologize for the delay. Life tends to show up when its not wanted at the worst of times. Oh well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! And a big thank you to all those who voted in my poll and have posted in my reviews! Your opinions are appreciated!

* * *

 **Tuesday, Bedroom- Nighttime**

"Argh!" I yelled out, as I looked as the answer I wrote down was completely different from the one that was in the back of my math book. After a memorable night at Lusties', I came back home and started work on my Algebra homework. I thought I had a handle on it at first. Unfortunately, like all of math, it continued to throw me for a loop. I could have waited until the morning to have it all done. After all, the assignments weren't due till next week. But I like to get my stuff done as soon as possible so I could get a head start on everyone else.

"Who was the genius who came up with this stuff anyway?" I said, speaking to myself. I sighed as I closed my notebook and threw it near my schoolbag. I fell on my bed, my head hitting my pillow. I opened one of my eyes and looked at the clock across from me as it read 10:02 P.M.

" _I wonder if that nightclub is still open…"_ I thought. Coincidentally, a vision of a certain blue-haired girl suddenly came to my mind.

"Nikki." I said, speaking the girl's name outloud.

"Thinking about her?" someone said. I lifted my head from my pillow and looked as Kyu was floating above me, smirking at me. Normally, I would have strongly denied it, but I simply shrugged and turned back around.

"You know, you do have her number." Kyu said, floating down beside me. "Why not give her a call?"

"At 10:00 P.M.?" I asked, turning around to face her, rolling my eyes.

"Well, why not?" Kyu answered. "Didn't she say she prefers it when a guy _doesn't_ make a girl wait when he gets her number?" I blinked in response, and realized that Kyu was right.

"Good point." I said, sighing. I sat up and grabbed my phone, before I stopped, realizing something.

"Wait a minute." I said, turning to Kyu. "How did you know Nikki said that? You weren't even there." I looked as the love fairy smirked as she usually did.

"Oh poor, naïve Charles…" She said, as she floated beside me. "Just because I'm not physically present when something happens, doesn't mean I don't know it does." She said, finishing with a wink. I looked at her, raising an eyebrow. I was about to say something, but instead I simply shook my head and waved it off.

"We'll talk about that later." I said, opening up the menu on my phone and scrolling through it for Nikki's number. As I did, I looked at the rest of the numbers I had accumulated the past few days. I had to admit, it was nice to have someone other than your family and friends' numbers. There was a strange sense of accomplishment to getting a girl's number.

After locating the number and hitting the 'call' button, I nervously waited as I heard the familiar sound of the receiver on the other hand. I felt my heart beating as I waited.

" _What am I doing?"_ I thought. _"She's going to think I'm an idiot for calling this late. Or worse yet, a stalker."_ I looked at the phone again and my thumb hovered over the 'end call' button. As I was near close to hitting it, the receiver ended and I heard someone on the other end.

"Hello?" The voice said on the other end. My voice got caught in my lungs as I heard Nikki's voice on the other end. I couldn't believe it. I actually called a girl! "Hello?" Nikki's voice said again, a bit more irritated.

"H-hey, N-Nikki." I said. I don't know why I was stammering. I had just talked to this girl not less than an hour ago.

"Hi?" Her voice said, on the other end. I had to stop myself from laughing, since her conversation now was exactly as it was when we first met.

"It's me, Charles." I said, re-introducing myself. "We met at Lusties'?"

"Oh!" She said, surprised. "Hi. I didn't think you'd call."

"Yeah, sorry if I'm calling too late." I said, embarrassed. "I can call again tomorrow, if you want."

"No, its fine." She answered. "I couldn't get to sleep, anyway."

"How come?" I asked. "Insomnia?"

"Yeah…" Nikki answered, surprised. "Actually, that's it. How did you know?"

"Lucky guess." I said. "But really and truly, its cause I can relate."

" _You're_ an insomniac?" She asked.

"Narcoleptic, actually." I explained. "I was diagnosed back when I was in high school. It irritated the heck out of my teachers."

"Argh, tell me about it." She said. "That's one of the main reasons I've decided not to go college."

"Cause of the teachers?"

"Yeah." She answered. "Well, no. It's not just the teachers, though they are a big part of it."

"Its the environment, itself?" I asked.

"Yeah." Nikki answered. I listened as she moved around in her bed. "You can't really rely on anyone in high school, not even the teachers. They're just like everyone; they're just there for a paycheck, and screw everything else."

"Yeah, and what makes it worse is that…"

 **Wednesday, Bedroom- After Midnight**

"…It was by a miracle that I managed to graduate high school." Nikki said.

"I have to say I'm a bit surprised." I said. "I didn't really peg you as the type of girl to skip class."

"Me either." Nikki said, chuckling. "I wouldn't have skipped so much if it wasn't for Audrey."

"You and Audrey went to high school together?" I asked, surprised.

"I know, right?" Nikki said. "Really, when I first entered high school, Audrey was finishing up. But she got held back three times, which is not really much of a surprise."

"No, its not." I didn't have classes with Audrey at the university, but if she acted like how she usually acts, its not much of a surprise to hear that she failed a couple of times. I almost felt bad for her teachers. "Did you two know each other before high school?" I asked.

"No, we've only known each other for about two years." She explained. "We first met when we were both seniors, in 12th grade. I was 16, but she was 19."

"How did that happen?" I asked.

"I skipped 10th grade." Nikki responded. "I'm an autodidact."

"What's that?" I asked.

"A self-educator." She answered. "I'm really good at teaching myself what I know."

"So, you taught yourself?"

"Yeah. The teachers were going to slow for my taste, so I just taught myself everything that they were teaching and more." Nikki explained. "My grades were so good that they asked if I wanted to go all the way to 11th grade. I figured it was a good way to get high school over and done with, so I agreed."

"Wow." I asked, awed. "That's cool."

"Thanks." Nikki said. "Anyway, like I said we met each other when we were both in 12th grade. I knew her by reputation only, but I didn't know her as I do now."

"Let me guess, she was exactly as she was now?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"You have no idea." Nikki said, groaning.

"How'd the two of you meet, anyway?"

"We met one day in between classes." She explained. "She came up to me and asked me to be her tutor."

"Her _tutor_?" I asked, skeptical.

"That's what _she_ called it." Nikki said, annoyed. "Apparently, her grades were so low that she was in danger of failing again. I guess she didn't want to go for a fourth time, so she asked me to help her."

"Why you?" I asked, curious. "I mean, she was popular, right? Couldn't she get anyone else to help her?"

"You know, I've always wondered that, myself." She replied. "I guess it was because she heard that a skipped a grade and figured I could help her out."

"Did you?" I asked.

"Well, I didn't really want too. But I had a feeling if I didn't, she was going to make me regret it."

" _I can't imagine."_ I thought, already picturing what Audrey would do to someone if they didn't give her what she wanted.

"So anyway, I started tutoring her in her subjects." Nikki said, continuing. "And in return, she started teaching _me_ stuff I didn't really know before."

"Like what?" I asked, curious as to what Audrey could _ever_ teach Nikki.

"Stuff about high school." She answered. "Things like how bias teachers can be, how they claim to care about students, but don't really do, why certain groups and cliques form and stuff like that."

"Oh." I said, not really know how to respond to any of what she said. "You don't really believe any of that, do you?"

"I didn't, at first." She answered. "But as I started paying more attention to what Audrey was saying, I realized that she was right, in a way."

"I see." I said, not really understanding, but I went along with it. "Is that why you don't attend college?"

"It's one of the reasons, at least." She answered. "But really, its just because I find schooling to be a waste of time. There's nothing those professors at the university can teach me that I can't teach myself."

"I can see your point." I said. "But Nikki, tell me, what do you plan to do?"

"What do you mean?" Nikki asked, not understanding.

"I mean, what do you want to do when you get older?" I explained. "Like a career."

"…"

"…Nikki?" I asked, worried that she might have hung up on me.

"…I don't know." Nikki whispered.

"Huh?" I said, not hearing.

"…I don't know." She said, a bit louder. Still, I couldn't hear her.

"Nikki, I can't hear yo…"

"I don't know, okay?!" Nikki yelled, into the phone. "I don't know what I want to do with my life, okay?!"

"Woah, Nikki!" I exclaimed, trying to calm her down. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to…"

"Well, you did! And I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring it up again!" She yelled.

"Right, sorry." I said, upset that I made her angry.

"Forget it…" Nikki said, upset.

"Right…" I said, not knowing what else to say. For the longest time, we sat there in silence, not knowing what else to say. I debated between hanging up for the night, but every time I heard Nikki's breathe on the other end, I decided not too. I sighed. I was such an idiot. Why did I say that? It wasn't my place too. And it was none of my business. I repeatedly hit myself in the head, chastising myself. It was only when Nikki's voice came on the other end, did I stop.

"Hey." I heard on the other end.

"Hey." I repeated.

"Listen, I'm sorry about…" She began.

"No, its my fault." I said, cutting her off. "I shouldn't have brought it up. It was none of my business."

"Yeah, but I shouldn't have yelled at you, like I did." She said, upset.

"Its fine. I deserved it." I said, rubbing my aching head.

"Its fine. Just… don't bring it up again, okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, no problem." I said. I then heard her sigh.

"The truth of the matter is, I really don't know what I want to do with my life." She explained.

"Nikki, you don't have to…" I began, before she cut me off.

"No, its fine." She said. "That's what I have always struggled with myself. Not knowing what I want to do. It's the same as in high school, really. I just did the classes that teachers said to take, not knowing if they would help me or not."

"Nikki…" I said, trying to get her to stop, since I could tell she didn't want to go on, but she ignored me and continued.

"To be honest, I kinda envy you. And Audrey."

"What?!" I yelled, shocked. "What possible reason could you have to envy either one of us?"

"Because the two of you both have goals to strive for." Nikki explained. "Yeah, Audrey's working at her own pace, but she's still working. Me? I don't even have a goal to work towards." As I listened to her, I felt torn up inside. It was my fault she felt this way, and what's worse, I didn't know any way to make her feel better.

"Hey, you there?" Nikki called out, snapping me out of my daze.

"Yeah, I'm here." I answered.

"Hey, you're not still beating yourself up over this, are you?" She asked. "I told you it was fine."

"Yeah, I know." I said, frowning. "I still wish I hadn't said anything, though."

"Well, there's no point in wishing for something that you can't change." She said.

"That was almost profound." I said, smiling.

"Yeah, I guess it was." She said, giggling. I soon joined alongside her, and her giggling soon turned into laughter. After a minute or two, we soon calmed back down. The mood was relatively pleasant.

"Hey Nikki," I said.

"Yeah?" She answered.

"You wanna go out tomorrow?" I asked.

"Go out?" She repeated, confused.

"On a date, I mean." I clarified.

"Huh?" She said, confused. "A… date?"

"Yeah." I answered.

"Uhh…" She said, still confused. "I don't have a problem with it, but why?"

"I don't know." I answered, honestly. "We've been talking on the phone for…" I turned to the clock and was shocked that it read 1:12 A.M. Had we been talking that long?!

"…Wow, we've been on the phone for hours." I said, a bit embarrassed.

"Not really." Nikki said. "I'm almost always awake at this time. I try to go bed early though, since I have to get up for work in the morning."

"Where do you work?" I asked. I heard her groan, and was afraid I'd ask or said something wrong. "Sorry, if you don't want to answer, that's…"

"No, its fine." Nikki said, cutting me off. "I just don't like my job, is all. Talking about it just annoys me."

"Like I said, you don't have to answer." I responded.

"It's cool." She said. "I work as a barista over at the café."

"The Nutmeg Café?" I asked.

"The one and only." Nikki said, sighing. "It's a boring job, but it pays well, so I can't complain."

"Not your kind of work environment?" I asked.

"Not at all." She answered. "I want to get a job that doesn't involve being around people. If possible, I'd just like to not work at all."

"You and me both." I said, wondering what life would be if I didn't have to work. It'd probably be a lot better off. …Maybe.

"So, what time does your shift end?" I asked.

"I usually work till evening time around 6, but I'll see if I can't try to get off earlier than that." Nikki answered.

"That's cool, but if you can't get off early, then there's no rush." I said. "I don't want you get fired on my account."

"It's fine." She assured. "If the boss has a problem with it, he's welcome to find someone else."

"Nikki…" I said, worried.

"Its fine, Charles." She said. "Like I said, maybe I'll get lucky and manage to get off early. We'll see."

"Alright, I trust you." I said.

"Thanks." Nikki said, making me smile. We were about to talk more, until I heard a yawn coming from the other end of the phone.

"Tired?" I asked.

"Actually, I think I am." She said, surprised. "I usually don't get tired until around 3:00."

"Want to call in a night then?" I asked, stifling a yawn.

"Yeah, that'd probably be for the best."

"Alright, see you later on in the day." I said, sitting up in my bed.

"Yeah, see you." Nikki said. I stood up from my bed, and prepared to hit the 'End Call' button until I heard Nikki's voice on the other end.

"Hey Charles." Nikki said. I put the phone back to my ear.

"Yeah, what's up?" I asked.

"…No, forget it. It's nothing." Nikki said.

"Are you sure?" I asked, a bit worried.

"Yeah, its nothing." Nikki said. "See you later."

And with that, the line on the other end went dead, as I looked at the phone, confused.

" _What was that about?"_ I wondered. Shrugging, I put the phone back on the charger and climbed back into bed.

"…Night." I said, to no one in particular.

 **Wednesday, Bedroom- Morning**

I groaned as I hit my alarm clock as it went off. I struggled to get out of my warm comforters and swung my feet around my bed, as I groaned rubbing the sand out of my eyes. I stood up, putting my feet on the cold floor as I sluggishly walked to the bathroom to wash up. I groaned as the bathroom lights hit my eyes, and I looked at myself in the mirror.

"Wow, how handsome." I said, looking at myself in the reflection. I yawned, once more as I turned on the faucet to the sink, cleaning myself up. As I wiped my face down, I, again, looked at myself in the mirror. As I did, realization soon hit me square in the face.

"…I have a date." I said, to myself, shocked. "I have a date." I repeated. Before I knew it, I began laughing, for no reason.

"I have a date!" I yelled, my voice echoing off the bathroom walls. I smiled at myself, and exited the bathroom, a slight pep in my step.

"Morning there, champ." Kyu said, as I entered my room.

"Hey Kyu." I said, as I walked to my closet, pulling out some clothes to wear.

"So, you're going on your first real date, huh?" Kyu asked, happily.

"Yeah, I'm going with Nikki." I said, smiling.

"I know. I'm proud of you, champ." Kyu said. She then pulled out a handkerchief, and began crying fake tears. "I'm so happy for you! My little boy is finally turning into a man, and taking responsibilities!" She cried.

I scowled at her, and rolled my eyes.

"Do you get like this all the time with your clients?" I asked, getting dressed.

"Not really." Kyu answered. "You should see me how I act after they've lost their virginity." I stopped, mid-dressing myself and looked at Kyu, frowning.

"Really?" I asked.

"Sorry champ." She said. I rolled my eyes, and resumed dressing myself, ignoring the antics of the love fairy.

"So, where exactly are you taking her?" Kyu asked.

"Huh?" I asked, looking back at her.

"Where. Are. You. Taking her?" Kyu said, in slow motion. "You invited a girl on a date, but didn't know where the two of you were going?"

"Of course I know where we're going!" I yelled, turning my back on Kyu, so she couldn't see the guilt on my face. Truthfully, I really didn't know. This was my first time taking a girl on a date, and I had next to idea what to do.

"Argh, did you forget everything I taught you on our first date?" Kyu asked, upset.

"No, I didn't forget, okay?" I said, thinking of a good place. "I just didn't give it a lot of thought.

"Obviously!" Kyu yelled, exasperated. I ignored the love fairy and continued thinking. What would be a good place to go, but also be a good place Nikki would like? I scratched my head, trying to think. Suddenly, I listened as my phone started buzzing and vibrating. I picked it up and looked as it was a message from Nikki. Surprised, and filled with curiosity, opened it.

'Hey Charles. Thanks again for the talk last night. Again, sorry for yelling at you. As an apology, I took this for you. Its basically me before you called and me any other night my insomnia starts acting up. Looking forward to our date today. Later.'

I blinked at the message and looked as there was an attachment next to it. Hesitantly, I clicked and looked as an image popped up. My eyes grew wide as a picture of Nikki appeared in her pajamas. She was laid out on her bed in her lingerie, staring up at the ceiling, a dazed look on her face. My mouth opened up and a slight pink appeared on my cheeks.

"Woah!" Kyu said, as she looked at the image over my shoulder. "Please tell me you're saving that."

"Y-yeah…" I said, saving the image on my phone. Don't ask me why I did it. It was just… for luck.

"Looks like you're starting to become a real playboy there, champ." Kyu said, smiling.

"Kyu…" I said, frowning.

"I know, I know." Kyu said, putting her hands up in front of her, as she already knew what I was going to say. "But you know, you still didn't answer my question last night."

"Question?" I repeated.

"Yes!" Kyu exclaimed. "Which girl are you going to go after, or are in your case, end up with?"

"I don't know, alright?" I answered. "Each girl I met has her own strengths and weaknesses. I figure I'll date each one a couple of times and see where it leads me." I explained.

"Sounds like a plan." Kyu complimented. "Just remember what I said. You've gotta be quick. They all aren't going to wait around for you forever."

"Yeah, yeah. I know." I said, waving off her warnings. I grabbed my schoolbag and headed for the door.

"Heading out?" Kyu asked.

"Yup." I answered.

"Good luck out there, chief." Kyu said, a smile on her face.

"Yeah, yeah." I said. "Try not to wreck the place while I'm gone, ok?"

"No promises." Kyu said, a smirk on her face. I rolled my eyes and walked out the door, leaving the love fairy behind.

 **Wednesday, University Campus- Morning**

"Morning Charles!" Tiffany greeted as I walked in the classroom.

"Hey." I said, waving.

"Did you finish those homework assignments Miss Yumi gave us?" She asked, sitting down beside me in the front row. Ever since Monday, I've found myself sitting in the front row more often. Not just in this class, but in all classes.

"I started last night, but I stopped midway cause I couldn't understand most of it." I answered.

"Oh." Tiffany said, a bit disappointed. She then looked away, getting her stuff out of her bag. I looked at her, wondering if I had said the wrong thing. Shrugging, I pulled my stuff out of my bag and got ready for class. We still had several more minutes for class started, so I figured I'd do some work on my assignments while I had the chance.

As I worked out mathematical equations in my head and on a scrap piece of paper, I scratched my head in frustration as I still couldn't really understand it. I had an idea of how to the problem, but I still managed to get the problem wrong.

"That's wrong." Someone said, knocking me out of my train of thought. I looked up at Tiffany who was looking at my sheet of paper.

"Huh?" I said, looking at her. "What's wrong?"

"Problem #3." She answered. "What you put down isn't right."

"Huh?!" I exclaimed, looking down at my answer and the problem again. "But… I thought for sure I knew that one." I complained, upset. "That was the only one I didn't look in the back of the book for."

"Look," Tiffany said, standing up over me. I gasped as I could feel her body hovering over me. She pointed her pencil at the problem. "For part A, you need to multiply your answer to the tenth power _twice_." She explained. "Then for part B, you have to divide your first answer by the number it shows in the problem." I looked as she erased what I had and wrote it out for me.

"Ohhh." I said, suddenly understanding. "That's where I was messing up at."

"Yeah, you were multiplying once, when you have to it _twice_. Got it?" Tiffany asked, smiling.

"Yeah, definitely." I said, smiling. "Thanks Tiffany."

"No problem." She said, sitting back down in her desk. I sighed as I felt revitalized and went back to work.

"You know," Tiffany said, snapping me out of train of thought again. "My offer for tutoring is still open."

"Huh?" I said.

"Remember? I offered to help tutor you on Monday." She said. I then remembered she said something to that effect soon after classes ended.

"Yeah, I remember." I said, embarrassed.

"I gave you my number, but you haven't called me yet." She said, a bit upset.

"I-I know." I said, still embarrassed. "Sorry. Its just, I've been really busy lately. What with work, and classes, and stuff…" I knew I was just making excuses. I really wasn't that busy. After all, I only worked several days a week, and my other classes were easy compared to this.

"I know, but it still wouldn't hurt to give me a heads-up." She complained.

"I know. I'm sorry." I said, apologizing. "I'll try to schedule a time when we can get together."

"Cool." She said, smiling. "How about tonight?"

"Huh?! Tonight?!" I exclaimed, making several of our classmates look over at us.

"Yeah." Tiffany answered. "I don't have cheerleading practice today, so we can get together at your house and study."

"Uhh… Tiffany, that's nice, but…" I stammered, trying to think of an excuse.

"But what?" She asked, frowning. "You don't have to work or anything, do you?"

"Well, no but…" I began.

"Good! So there's no excuse." Tiffany said, cutting me off. "You live over in the apartment complexes, right? Which one is yours?"

"I…" I began. Thankfully, the professor walked in at that time and greeted the class.

"We'll speak more after classes are over, k?" Tiffany whispered, giving the professor her full attention.

"Uhh… r-right." I whispered, though I doubt she heard me. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I turned to listen to the professor.

 **Wednesday, University Campus- Afternoon**

I sighed as I stepped out of the university, sweating.

" _What am I going to do?"_ I thought, walking down the steps of the building. " _I've never had a girl over at my place alone before! What if she sees something embarrassing?! Or gossips about it to her friends?"_

I continued scratching my head, a nervous wreck.

" _Plus, I've still got my date with Nikki in a bit. What if we're held up and I keep Tiffany waiting?! She'll be pissed!"_

"Hey Charles!"

I looked as I saw Tiffany running towards me. I put on a fake smile, as she approached me.

"H-hey." I said, trying to control my stammering.

"Hey listen," She said. "I asked my grandparents if it was fine if I tutored you, and they said it was fine, so long as I was home at a reasonable time." She explained. "Does 6:00 work for you?"

"Huh? Oh, uhh… s-sure." I answered.

"Great! What's your apartment number?"

"Uhh… It's 288." I answered. "It's on the far east side of the complex. I'll call you and let you know when you're close."

"Great, see you then!" She said, running off again.

"Y-yeah, see you." I said, waving bye. Only after she left did I exhale the breath I was holding in.

"Okay, 6:00 isn't bad. That gives me plenty of time to get home and get my room in order." I thought. I sighed, as my heart finally calmed down and stopped beating so much.

"How do I get myself into these messes?" I asked myself. With nothing else to do, I began my trek to the café, to pick up my date. If things went well, no more _other_ surprises would jump out at me today. At least, I hoped and prayed that would be the case…

* * *

So, that's the end. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I personally enjoyed writing, since, as I stated before, writing with Nikki is very interesting and easy to do. Again, I'd like to thank all those who voted in the poll. I have to admit, the results were very surprising and interesting. I didn't realize Nikki was so popular. It was a very close race between her and Tiffany, which is why I decided to put her in this chapter, as well. Not saying I'm going to neglect the other girls, but since they had the highest out of the eight, they'll be shown more often than the other girls in the next few chapters. Anyway, again, I'd like to thank all those who have left me PM's and reviews with their opinions and insights. I'm glad to know a lot of you out there are taking the time out to read my story. You all are wonderful! Until next time!

P.S. I'd like all of your opinions on something. I've a lot of readers send PM's about the poll votes being 'unfair'. They claimed that since the poll was open and the results were always shown, it made the voting a little unfair. To be honest, I made the poll like that so everyone could see the results and not think I was lying about which girl to choose. But I'd like all of your thoughts. Would you all prefer to have the results closed, so you don't know which girl is ahead in the future? Or would you prefer to leave the polls as is, so you can view the results at anytime? I'm only asking cause I want to be fair to everyone. Please give your answers either by review or PM. Thanks again!


	8. Special Edition: Huniepop Halloween

**Yes, I know this chapter is a month late. I started writing this chapter a week before Halloween, but I ran out of time. I'll tell you right now, this chapter is not my best work. In fact, this chapter almost came close to NOT being written. My sister was the one who insisted I write a Halloween edition. I thought it sounded smart, at first, but that was before I realized how hard it would be. I had to go back and re-write this chapter many, many times. Eventually, I got so fed up with it, I was about to call quits on the whole thing. But I realized that would be giving up, and I hate giving up. So, I persevered and I managed to get it finished. Sorry if you don't like it. Like I said, it isn't my best work. I just wanted to hurry up and finish it, so I could get it posted. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. It wasn't easy to do.**

* * *

 **Halloween, Bedroom- Evening**

I smiled at myself, as I looked myself over one more time in the mirror. I was currently dressed in a green tunic with a hood and a brown vest over me. I had a black sash over my vest and tunic, along with a black leather belt. I had on a pair of black pants and some black boots. As if to complete my outfit, I had a fake bow in one of my hands and a pair of fake arrows in a quiver on my back. In short, I looked a bit like Robin Hood, though that wasn't really what I was going for.

After giving myself one last look-over, I turned off the lights to my bedroom and closed the door, walking out into the hallway. I looked at the closed bathroom door and groaned in frustration.

"Kyu, would you _please_ hurry up?!" I yelled at the door. "We're going to be late meeting the others, and I am _not_ missing this Halloween Party cause of you!"

"Would you hold your horses?!" Kyu yelled back from inside of the bathroom. "I'm almost done!" I groaned once more, and leaned my back against the wall, my arms across my chest, as I waited, impatiently for my love fairy friend to get out of the bathroom. After a minute or two, the door finally opened.

"Finally!" I said, pushing myself off the wall. "What exactly took you so…" I stopped mid-sentence as I took a good long look at Kyu. My eyes grew big and my mouth fell open.

"What do you think, champ?" Kyu asked, smiling as she turned around. "Am I hot or what?" I couldn't answer. She was wearing, what was essentially, a swimsuit. Only it was made entirely out of leaves. She had on a pair of long green arm-warmers, as well a pair of matching green leg warmers. On her feet was a pair of leaves made to look like shoes. Her hair, which was usually a pair of pigtails, was now a pair of long ponytails, going all the way down past her butt. Finally, as if to complete her outfit, around her head was a crown made entirely of a variety of different types of flowers and leaves. All in all, her outfit really left one speechless.

"Is…is that a bikini?" I asked, pointing at her, whilst cocking an eyebrow.

"Yup!" Kyu answered, happily. "And I made it all by myself! Some leaves, a few flowers, a little bit of fairy magic, and ta-da! Instant Halloween outfit!" She twirled around, giving me another look at it. "So, what do you think?" She asked, again.

"Not to criticize you or anything, but you're gonna be cold wearing that." I said, pointing at her exposed skin. "And aren't you afraid those leaves are gonna fall off your chest?"

"Naaa. Like I said, this outfit is powered by fairy magic." She said, assuring me. "And besides, wouldn't you prefer to be cold if you had the attention of everyone around you?"

"Not really." I answered. "In my experience, I've seen too many people trying to look good when they didn't feel good at all." That was always something that I never understood. Why risk hurting yourself just for a couple of minutes of fame?

"Meh, that's just the price of fashion, champ." Kyu said.

"Whatever." I said, rolling my eyes. I took another look at her outfit. "What exactly were you going for with that outfit, anyway?"

"Well, I was playing one of your video games on your computer the other day, and one of the characters in the game was a forest nymph or something." Kyu explained. "But anyway, she was wearing this really revealing dress that was made from the forest or something, so I decided to make something like that." She finished, happily.

"Riightt." I said, nodding, even though I didn't understand half of what she had said. "And the crown on your head?"

"I felt it fit, so I went with it." She then touched one of her ponytails. "My hair is usually this long, but I hate maintaining it, so I just keep it short."

"Nice." I said, impressed.

"Thanks!" She said, pleased. She then noticed what I was wearing. "And what are you supposed to be? You look like a thief or something."

"A _thief_?!" I yelled, appalled. "I happen to be a Ranger, thank you very much." I corrected, pointing at myself. I then took out my bow and an arrow from my quiver. I then struck a dramatic pose, wielding it.

"I live in the forest, protecting it from all who seek to do harm to it or the creatures who live in it. I live in the darkness, but I serve the light. And with my mighty bow and arrows, I quickly and silently eliminate any potential threat who sets foot in my home!" I yelled, as if recanting a line from a T.V. show.

"Riightt." Kyu said, staring at me, strangely. "You still look a thief, though." I looked at her, upset.

"I'm not a _thief_. I'm a Ranger! They are completely different!" I said, upset.

"Alright, alright!" Kyu said, putting her hands in front of her. "Anyway, shouldn't we be going? We're going to be late." I looked at the watch on my wrist and noticed the time.

"Oh snap!" I yelled, as I swiftly ran to the front door.

"Hey, wait up!" Kyu yelled, running after me. After making sure the door was locked and all of the lights turned off, Kyu and I swiftly made our way to meet the others.

 **Halloween, Downtown Area- Evening**

As Charles and Kyu were swiftly making their way to the gathering spot, five girls were waiting for him to arrive. While three of them were calmly passing the time talking to each other, one was playing games on her phone, whilst the other was angrily stomping back and forth, impatient.

"Argh, what is taking him so long?!" A certain redhead yelled out. "We've been waiting here forever! At this rate, we're never going to get to Lusties'!"

"Actually, _we've_ only been waiting for five minutes." A calm blue-headed nerd girl responded, sitting down on a street curb, her eyes never leaving her mobile device. "You and I just got here. Tiffany has been waiting here longer than anyone else."

"Besides, the nightclub isn't even open yet." A blonde-haired, blue-eyed schoolgirl said, checking her watch. "We've still got 30 more minutes before the place opens up, so cool your jets, will you?"

"It doesn't matter if it's open or not!" The redhead responded, upset. "Do you have any idea how long the lines are gonna be at this point?! It'll take forever to get inside!"

"Yes, Heaven forbid you don't get into the club fast enough to get some drugs and liquor into your system." A violet-eyed mother said, rolling her eyes. The redhead angrily turned around, facing the one who just commented.

"Whore, you do _not_ want to start with me. Especially not now." She said, growling.

"Who are you calling a 'whore', tramp?!" The mother responded.

"What did you just call me?!" The two quickly got close to each other, ready to square off.

"Ladies, please!" A tall fuchsia-eyed woman said, getting in between the two, trying to calm them down. "This behavior is most unfitting, for both of you." She then turned to the redhead, frowning.

"Young lady, you have no right to call anyone out of their name, regardless of their status in life." She said, reprimanding her. The redhead simply scoffed and turned away, her arms over chest. The tall woman then turned to the woman on the other side of her.

"And you, Kyanna. I am surprised at you. You must learn to keep your comments to yourself, especially since you are held to a higher standard than the rest of us." She said, chastising her. The mother, in question, looked away, disappointed. The five women then stood there, an awkward silence taking place. Luckily, it soon dissolved with the arrival of a fair-headed young man quickly running up to the group.

"Hey guys," I said, panting as I ran up to the five, trying to get my breath back. "S-s-sorry I-I'm l-late."

"It's about time you got here!" Audrey yelled out, upset. "Do you have any idea how long we've been waiting?!"

" _Not long enough, you little she-beast."_ I thought, ignoring the queen bee's loud yells. As I got my breath back, I took a look at her costume. Her hair was in a large, long ponytail going down past her butt. She was wearing a see-through dress that went down to the upper part of her legs and had on some blood red lingerie underneath. She had on a pair of blood red stockings on her legs and was wearing a pair of red heels.

Around her head was a pair of fake demon horns adorned with a pair of gold beads. Finally, as if to complete her outfit, on her back were a pair of demon wings, which looked strangely similar to Kyu's, if she weren't a fairy. All in all, her look gave her the appearance of a succubus, which seemed to suit her well. If anyone else had worn such a provocative outfit, I'd probably have been blushing right now. But since it was Audrey, I wasn't so surprised.

"Hey Charles!" Tiffany said, walking up to me. "You finally made it!" I smiled at her, as I stood up, finally managing to get my breath back. I looked as she was wearing a brown short with a matching-colored skirt with a white trim. She had on a pair of dark high boots and had a red scarf tied around her neck. Finally, she had on a brown cowboy's hat on her head, making her look somewhat like a cowgirl. Her hair, which was usually in pigtails, was spread all the way across her back.

"Yeah, sorry I'm late." I said, dusting myself off.

"What kept you, dude?" Kyanna asked, walking up. I looked as she was wearing a purple corset with a pair of matching-colored arm-warmers. She had a purple choker adorned with a red gem around her neck, and was wearing a pair of dark-colored stocking with black heels. She was carrying a gold staff with an orb on the end, and had a witch's hat on her head, giving her the appearance of a stereotypical witch.

"Well…" I began.

"Hey!" A familiar voice yelled out. We all turned around and looked as a familiar love fairy was running up to us. She panted, putting her back to the wall as she tried to get some air back in her veins.

"Okay," She said, panting in between her words. "Either that lunch I had earlier today is coming back to bite me in the ass, or I really need to start working out more. Cause there is no way my metabolism should be this sluggish."

"You shouldn't have eaten all those cheeseburgers in one setting." I said, walking over to her.

"Well, is it my fault they were so good?" She complained. I rolled my eyes, not even bothering to respond to that.

"Uhm," Kyanna said, getting me and Kyu's attention. "Not to be rude or anything, but who are you?" she asked.

"Oh! Uhh…" It just struck me that none of the girls I had met had ever actually seen Kyu, though she was usually right next to them whenever I talked to any of them.

"This is…" I began before Kyu cut me off.

"I'm Kyu." Kyu said, introducing herself. "I'm Charles's cousin, on his mom's side."

"Wait, what?" I said outloud. I felt Kyu hit me in the back with her elbow. I looked at her, upset, while she feigned an innocent look on her face.

"His cousin?" Nikki repeated, looking up from her mobile device. I blinked in surprise, since I didn't expect her to be here, since I knew that parties and such were not Nikki's scene. Casting a glance at Audrey, I could only assume that she dragged Nikki out against her will… again. I took a quick glance at her outfit and looked as she was wearing a pair of cat ears and had a pair of "whiskers" drawn onto her face. Other than that, her outfit consisted of what she usually wore.

"Yup!" Kyu answered, pointing proudly to herself.

"You never mentioned you had a cousin, dude." Kyanna said, looking at me.

"Oh, well…" I said, trying to think of an excuse. The truth of the matter is, I had loads and loads of cousins. Both from my mom's side, as well as my dad's. My family tree was so big, even I couldn't describe it. I just never talked about them, because there was no reason to.

"I'm not surprised." Kyu said, grinning. "Charles would forget to mention his favorite older cousin."

" _Gee, I wonder why…"_ I thought, rolling my eyes.

"Hi! Nice to meet you." Tiffany said, smiling. "I'm Tiffany Maye, Charles's classmate."

"I'm Kyanna! I work out with Charles at the fitness club." Kyanna said, introducing herself. "I guess you could say I'm sorta like his fitness instructor?"

"Fitness instructor?" I repeated, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well, I _am_ the one who is helping you to become more physically active." Kyanna said, in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yeah, but don't you have to have a license or something to be considered an instructor?" I asked, still cocking an eyebrow.

"Meh, details." Kyanna said, waving me off. "Sides, with how much time I spend in the gym anyway, why shouldn't I be an instructor?"

"If you say so." I said, shrugging.

"Well, if you are his _fitness_ instructor, I suppose that makes me his _yoga_ instructor." Someone said, approaching us. I looked as it was Beli, who, surprisingly, was dressed somewhat like a Native American. She had some red tribal markings on her face, a unique Native American headdress around her head, and was wearing some tribal clothing. All in all, it was a look that seemed to fit her. Especially since her hair was long and flowing down her back.

"But yoga instructor actually _is_ your profession." I stated.

"I know," Beli said, giggling. "I just wanted something unique to say like Kyanna."

"Oh." I said, scratching my head, embarrassed. Beli giggled again in response.

"A pleasure to meet you, Kyu. I am Beli Lapran." Beli said, bowing her head in respect.

"Nice to meet you all!" Kyu said, though I'm pretty sure she already knew all of them and was just being polite. She then looked over at Nikki, who was still sitting down on the street curb, a bored expression on her face.

"And who are you?" Kyu asked, a smile on her face. Nikki looked at her face for several moments, as if she was looking for any sign of deception upon the love fairy's face. She would have looked more serious if it weren't for the "whiskers" and cat ears she currently had on.

"…Nikki." Nikki simply said, not adding anything else to her short introduction.

"Oh come on, Nikki." Tiffany said, crossing her arms. "You can add a little bit more than just that." Nikki then turned and scowled at her friend.

"If she wants to know anything more, she can always ask Charles." The shy girl said, upset. She then got up from where she was sitting and began walking away. "I'd hurry up if I were you. That stupid nightclub's going to open soon, and Audrey's already got a head start."

The group looked around, surprised, and looked as Audrey had, indeed, disappeared.

"Argh, that girl!" Tiffany said, upset. "I swear, its like the word 'patience' means absolutely nothing to her."

"You're actually surprised?" Kyanna asked, frowning. "I expected something like this from her."

"Kyanna…" Beli said, a warning tone in her voice.

"Yeah, yeah. My bad." Kyanna said, waving off the yoga instructor's threat.

With that, the six of us, (more like, the seven of us) headed to Lusties' for a night of fun and debauchery.

 **Halloween, Near Lusties'- Evening**

"So, what exactly are you two supposed to be?" Tiffany asked, looking at Kyu and I as we walked down the streets leading to the nightclub. "I mean, I think I recognize your costume Charles, but Kyu's has me… baffled."

"Yeah, I was wondering that myself." Kyanna said, walking beside us. "I don't think I've ever seen that outfit before. Especially not in any stores around here. Where did you get that?"

"I made this outfit myself!" Kyu answered proudly. "I didn't want just any other costume that you can find anywhere, so I started working on this outfit last month."

"I like it." Beli stated, smiling. "It has a Nature-feel to it. The leaves, the green shading, the flowers. Its very peaceful looking."

"Thanks!" Kyu said, happy with the compliment. I rolled my eyes, in response.

"So, what are you suppose to be exactly?" Tiffany asked.

"I'm a Guardian of the Forest." Kyu said, pointing at herself, whilst striking a pose. We all stopped to stare at her, as she was danced around, gracefully hopping from to place with ease. "I used to be the wife of well-knight. However, a serious and incurable illness claimed my life." She said, raising her left hand to the sky, as she continued her monologue, a sad expression on her face.

"He took my cold body to a lake in the forest where he and often frequented. As he laid me down, he cried, begging the spirits of the forest to bring me back. As his tears fell upon my face, they transformed into sparkling jewels. The spirits heard my lover's cry and revived me. I looked upon his face, smiling at him one last, before I disappeared to be with the spirits of the forest."

She then looked back at us, a smile on her face. "And from this day forth, I continue to watch over my lover from beyond the forest, protecting him and all he dears with my very life." She then looked back at me, a sly smile on her lips, while I looked at her in confusion.

"And as luck would have it…" She said, before walking up to me, and grabbing my hand.

"Huh?" That was all I was able to say before Kyu maneuvered herself, placing herself in my chest. Everyone looked on shocked, while I simply stared, not able to say a word.

"…The heartbroken knight soon became a valid Ranger, and is now fighting for the memory of his beloved, protecting the very land that she, herself, uses to protect him."

She then freed herself from me, and looked at everyone. "So, what did you all think?"

"That…was…awesome!" Kyanna yelled, scaring and startling some of the passerby's. "That was seriously cool! I can't believe the two of you made outfits in unison with each other!"

"Huh?!" I exclaimed, shocked. "No, you…" I started to say until Kyu cut me off.

"Yup! Charles and I had worked on this idea for weeks." Kyu said, smiling. "I didn't have time to make both his and my outfit, so he had to purchase his online, while I made mine."

"That was really nice!" Tiffany said, surprised. "I'm glad the two of you took the time out to coordinate with each other."

"Indeed." Beli said, smiling, wiping fake tears away. "And the backstory was very romantic. I enjoyed it."

"Yeah… it was… nice." Nikki said slowly, though she was still looking at Kyu with a mild display of suspicion, not that anyone noticed.

"No, listen…" I tried to say, but was cut off once again by Kyu.

"Thanks! Charles here came up with the idea. He's just being modest." Kyu said, slapping me on the shoulder.

"Huh?!" I exclaimed, shocked.

"Hey Kyu, you gonna be in town long?" Kyanna asked.

"Possibly. Charles's mom wants me to keep an eye on him." Kyu asked.

"What?!" I yelled out, making more people look at us, strangely.

"Great!" Kyanna said, putting her arm around Kyu. "We gotta get you in the fitness club! Those moves you did were awesome! I think you could teach some of the veterans there a thing or two."

"I agree." Beli said, smiling. "You could do wonders in our yoga class."

"It's a shame you don't go to school here." Tiffany said, a bit disappointed. "The cheerleading team would love to have you!"

With that, the three of them took Kyu, heading down the street, leaving Nikki and I alone. As they did, my eye twitched slightly.

" _What the heck just happened?"_ I thought, still confused.

"I have to admit," Nikki said, standing beside me. "Your… cousin certainly is talented." She said, walking away.

"Y-yeah." I said, following behind. As I continued walking, only one thought came to my mind.

" _She is going to pay for this when we get home…"_

 **Halloween, Lusties' Nightclub- Evening**

After about a 15-minute walk, we finally managed to get to the nightclub. Audrey, who didn't bother waiting for us, stood in the back of the line leading to the club. Judging from her posture and demeanor, it's obvious she was not happy.

"Geez, do you all _like_ taking your good sweet time or something?" Audrey complained, as we got in line behind her. "I've been waiting here for five whole minutes! It's like you guys like to be late or something!"

We didn't bother retorting, as we knew that Audrey was going to be Audrey, no matter what we said or did. It was better to let her get her complaints out, so we wouldn't have to hear from her later.

"So, what you made come out tonight?" I asked Nikki, who was standing behind me in line with her arms crossed.

"Do you even really have to ask?" Nikki asked, narrowing her eyes at a certain redhead in front of us. "It seems like every time I manage to get some small measure of peace, Audrey shows up to ruin it. I don't even like Halloween."

"You're not a fan of it?" I asked, a bit surprised.

"No, I'm not." Nikki answered. "I despise this holiday and everything it stands for."

"Even though Halloween has to do a lot with the paranormal?"

"In spite of that." Nikki said. "I'll admit, I like the history that surrounds Halloween. There are plenty of stories and mysteries that intrigue me about the holiday." She explained. "But everything else about it? The dressing up, the begging for free candy, the pranks, and all that? No, I don't care for it."

"Then, how come you look like that?" I asked, pointing her cat ears and "whiskers".

"I don't know." Nikki answered, shrugging her shoulders. "Audrey said they were doing some stupid Halloween contest for 'Best Costume' or something like that. I don't plan on entering or winning, but I thought I'd just entertain the notion."

"Hey, who knows? You could have a shot." I encouraged. Nikki responded with a 'are you serious?' look. "Hey, it could happen." I shrugged.

"Not in this lifetime, it couldn't." The recluse said, turning away.

I sighed as I turned to move up in the line. I looked at Beli who was in front of me, still talking to Kyanna and Kyu.

"I'm a bit surprised," I said, speaking to the yoga instructor. "I didn't think you'd be the type for parties and such, Beli."

"Hmm?" Beli said, turning towards me. "Oh, well you're partially right." She said, smiling. "This isn't really my choice for a night out, but Kyanna insisted I come."

"Well duh, Beli!" Kyanna said, listening to us. "I asked you to come, because it's Halloween! One of the best holidays in the year! A night for fun and reverence for all!"

"If you say so." Beli said, smiling, a bit intimidated by Kyanna's excitement. "Just don't be too surprised if I don't dance much or decide to leave the party early."

"And me, with her." Nikki said, chiming in.

"That's fine." Kyanna said, putting her arms around both of them. "I'd rather you both be here for a short time, than not at all."

"That's agreeable." Beli said, smiling.

"Sure." Nikki said, unhooking herself from Kyanna's grip. I smiled at the exchange and turned back around, looking at the front of the line. Before we all knew it, we had finally managed to make it to the entrance. As we entered, the scene was the same as it was the last time I was here. Loud noise, people dancing and moving around, bright lights and all of that other stuff you see when you enter into nightclubs.

"Well, I'm heading to the dance floor now." Audrey said, pushing her way through the group. "I'll see _most_ of you there!" And with that, the queen bee walked away.

"Is she always like that?" Kyu asked.

"You mean bitchy and annoying?" Kyanna asked, upset. "Yes."

"Kyanna…" Beli said, frowning.

"Well, it's true!" Kyanna argued. "She walks around acting like she's better than any of us, even though she's the one who calls us out for these little get-togethers of hers."

"True." Nikki said, agreeing. "I wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for her."

"Well, I suppose I can thank her for that." I said, making Nikki look at me with a frown.

"What do you mean?" She asked. I smiled and leaned in close to her, making her back away, startled.

"If you weren't here, I'd have no one to talk to." I whispered. Nikki looked at me, shocked, before looking away, blushing.

"Uhh… right." She whispered, still blushing.

"Well, we might as well join her." Tiffany said. "Race you all to the dance floor!"

"You're on!" Kyanna agreed, racing after her.

"Hey, wait up!" Kyu said, running after the two. That left only me, Nikki and Beli alone by ourselves. Though we all were dressed up, we couldn't help but feel out of place.

"You guys wanna go find a quiet place to sit?" I asked, looking at them.

"Yes, please." Beli answered, with Nikki nodding. We all looked around until we settled in a dark corner of the club. I pulled some chairs from a nearby table over, and we all sat down, talking.

"You know, its ironic, really." Nikki said, out of the blue.

"What is?" I asked.

"The fact that people dress up on Halloween." She answered. "And the reason they wear masks."

"What do you mean?" I asked, curious.

"People normally wear masks because it conceals their identity from everyone." Nikki explained. "They can't tell who is who. And in their masks, they can act like their true selves."

"You mean… the fact that their two-faced?" I asked.

"Yes. They act one way behind a mask, and act a completely different way without one." Nikki said, explaining the process to us. "And because they can't tell each other apart, they can get away with whatever they want with no repercussions. It's hypocrisy in its finest form."

I blinked, and turned to look at Beli, who had the same expression as me. We really didn't know what to think or say to that.

"Uhm," Beli said, trying to think of a polite way to broach this conversation. "Don't you think that's… a negative way of looking at it?"

"Not if you've observed people like I have." Nikki answered, not looking at her. "People always have ulterior motives for everything they do. Even if they act with the best intentions, they're still doing it for themselves."

"I don't think so." Beli said, as she softly spoke, not wanting to provoke an argument. "In my 23 years of living, I've observed a lot of people. And if there's one thing I've learned, its that you can't really force your behavior or opinions on anyone. Doing so is as painful as being on the receiving end."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, let's say for example, a person who just happens to help someone else for no reason." Beli explained. "Now, from an outside point of view, that will seem strange to some, but the person who helped doesn't think so. That's because they are used to helping people, and they do it without any sort of reward or recognition in mind."

"That's not possible." Nikki said, looking at Beli. "If the person doesn't get a reward for helping, then why help in the first place?"

"There's no reason needed." Beli answered, smiling. "Helping is just in their nature. It's what they do best."

"Then that's their reason what there." Nikki pointed out. "They do it simply because it's what they're good at. If they had another talent besides helping, do you really think that's what they'd do without some sort of goal in mind?"

"I believe so, yes." Beli answered. Nikki sighed and turned away, not willing to debate any longer.

"If I might be so bold, may I ask where this belief comes from?" Beli asked.

"Years of dealing with people," Nikki answered. "Both in and out of high school."

"But high school is only one place." Beli said, trying to reason with the reclusive girl. "There's a whole world out there."

"Maybe, but I'd rather not take my chances." Nikki said, turning away, once more. Beli sighed and did the same. Through it all, I sat there, listening to the two argue back and forth. The situation made me feel awkward to be honest. I scratched my head, trying to think of something gentler to talk about.

"Hey, you guys!"

We all looked as Kyanna was running up to us, which was a little hard to do considering she was in a dress.

"You guys have been sitting here since we got here." Kyanna said, crossing her arms. "Aren't you going to get out there and dance or something?"

"Wasn't planning on it." Nikki said, looking away, one of her legs crossed over the other, as she rested her head in the palm of her hand.

"Sorry Kyanna." Beli said, apologizing. "But as I mentioned earlier, dancing and such isn't really my forte."

"Phooey to the both of you." Kyanna said, playfully waving them off, before looking at me. "What about you, dude? You gonna go tear it up out there?"

"Oh, uhh… Sorry Kyanna." I apologized. "I'd like to, but I'm not really a good dancer." That wasn't actually the truth, but it wasn't a lie either. I could dance, but it kinda left something to be desired. I could dance fine on my own, but with other people? I was, as my brother liked to say, 'a mess'.

"That's fine!" Kyanna said, grabbing my arm and pulling me up from my seat. "There's no secret to dancing, dude. You just have to move your body to the beat. Come on!"

"Hey, whoa!" I yelled, as Kyanna dragged me across the club to the dance-floor. A new song had just come on as everyone continued dancing and singing along to the lyrics.

"Well, come on!" Kyanna said, already moving her body to the beat. "Don't just stand there like a lump on a log. Move your feet!"

I awkwardly began moving my body, though I could tell that I looked kinda silly, even without everyone's stares and glances. I blushed as I knew I looked ridiculous.

"You are definitely going to need some work, dude." Kyanna said, as she grabbed my hands. "Look, follow my lead, okay?"

"Uhh… sure." I said, as the determined athlete took control of me, guiding my movements.

"Dancing isn't rocket science." Kyanna said, still moving with me. "All it takes is a good beat. Everything else is second-nature."

"Uhh… right." I said, as I continued following her lead. Though I was busy dancing, I couldn't help but notice the amount of eyes on me as I was dancing with a very hot girl.

"Yeah! Now you're getting it!" Kyanna said, as the beat of the music increased, causing us to dance faster. The more it moved, however, the more I felt some energy inside me well up, causing me to just want to let loose and have a good time. Before I could stop myself, I had let go of my friend's hands and just started moving my entire body. I felt frightened, but also good, in a way.

"Woo! Dancing machine over here!" Kyanna yelled, though her voice was overshadowed by the noise of the club and the music. I smiled at her, and we continued dancing together, our bodies becoming hotter by the minute as sweat poured down our bodies. Though we were panting like crazy, the feeling was just too good to stop. It was, in a word, exhilarating.

Before I knew it, I had danced to exactly five songs. I sighed as I took off the hood of my robe, trying to let some of the hot air out.

" _I need a drink."_ I thought as I walked towards the bar for a cold drink. I wasn't really in the mood for liquor, at the moment, so I opted for a soda, instead. I sighed as I took a large gulp of my drink.

" _God, I needed that."_ I thought, taking another large sip from the can.

"Well, well, what have we here?" Someone said, making me turn away, whilst I was still drinking. My eyes grew big, and I looked as a woman appeared. And for some reason, she looked strangely familiar.

She was wearing a pair of blood red fish stockings on her legs and had on a pair of matching-colored panties that had a demon's tail coming out of them. She had on a red and brown bra that showed a lot of her cleavage and had on a pair of red gauntlets on her arms that extended to her hands. She had on a blood red choker around her neck and a pair of demon horns on her head. Finally, she was carrying a blood red trident, giving her the impression of being a devil. A sexy devil, but a devil, nonetheless.

"I didn't know a dashing _thief_ was present here in the club." The devil woman said, sitting next to me, crossing her legs over each other.

"Uhh…" I said, not knowing what to say about this. I took a good look at the woman, staring at her. I knew this woman from somewhere, I just couldn't remember where.

"Staring?" The woman said, smirking at me. "Most people would consider that rude. But lucky for you, I'm not one of those people."

"Oh, uhh… that's good?" I said, not entirely sure if that was intended to be a compliment or not. "Forgive me for asking, but have we met somewhere before?" I asked.

"You mean you've forgotten me?" The woman said, pouting. "That hurts, love."

"I'm…sorry?" I said, still not sure if this woman was toying with me or not.

"It's alright." The woman said, her frown quickly turning into a smile. "Let me give you a hint…"

"Hey Jessie!" Someone called out, making the woman and I turn around. I looked as I saw another woman approach from behind us. Like the first one, my eyes grew big as the woman before was exceptionally beautiful. …And strangely familiar too. She was wearing something that was akin to a nurse's outfit, even though the color wasn't the traditional white. Her outfit was entirely olive green with some red highlights.

" _Jessie?"_ I thought. _"That name sounds familiar…"_

"Lola!" The woman beside me shouted, getting up and running to her friend. "You bitch! I've been waiting for you for hours!"

"Sorry lover." The woman known as Lola apologized. "You have no idea how hard it was to fit into this outfit."

"Well, it does look good on you." The woman said, flirting with her friend.

"Aww, thanks! Yours doesn't look bad, either."

"You should know by now hun," The woman said, striking a pose. "I only dress the best."

"Of course." Lola said, laughing. It was then that she noticed me. "Oh hey!"

"Uhh… hey." I said, still in shock as to what was happening.

"I haven't seen you since we met in the café a few weeks ago!" She said, sitting down on the left side of me.

"The café?" I repeated. My brain suddenly went into 'memory mode' trying to recall meeting such a woman at the Nutmeg Café. One woman suddenly popped into my mind, and my eyes opened in surprise.

"Oh! Lola!" I said, suddenly remembering her.

"Yup, and you're… Charles, right?"

"Yes, good to see you again." I said, smiling.

"Wait, you two know each other?" The woman known as Jessie asked, surprised.

"We met one morning when I stopped into the café for breakfast." Lola explained. "I didn't mention it?"

"No, you didn't!" Jessie said, upset. "You know you're supposed to introduce me to any hot guys you meet."

"Honey, if I did that, I'd never have any hot guys for myself." Lola said, rolling her eyes.

…Is it bad that I was currently blushing due to the fact that two sexy women were calling me 'hot' right in front of me?

"Oh well." Jessie said, sitting on the right of me. "I shouldn't complain, since I met him before already too."

"You did?" Lola asked, surprised. "Where?"

"I did?" I repeated.

"Yes." Jessie answered, looking at me. "You remember. A lonely young woman at the bar, drinking. Then suddenly a strapping young man came and introduced himself and offered to buy me a drink."

Once again, my eyes opened wide as realization suddenly hit me.

"Jessie! From the bar!"

"Nicely done, baby." Jessie said, pecking me on a cheek, making blush once again.

"Uhh… thanks." I said.

"And you say I take all the hot guys…" Lola said, jokily.

"Well, I have no problem sharing if you do." Jessie said, latching her on my arm.

"Fine with me!" Lola said, attaching herself on my other arm. I blushed once again, not knowing what to say or think.

" _I must be asleep,"_ I thought. _"Because no way in hell this can be anything_ _ **but**_ _a dream."_

"Uh-oh, I think we broke him, love." Lola said, teasing me.

"Well, when he is surrounded by two sexy women like us, can you blame him?" Jessie asked, poking my cheeks.

"So, uhh…" I said, trying to think of something to talk about whilst controlling my raging hormones which were bouncing off the walls right now. "How exactly do you two know each other?"

"Oh, Jess and I have known each other for about three years now." Lola answered. "We first met in an airport."

"We were both boarding the same flight." Jessie explained. "I didn't know she was an airline stewardess at the time."

 ***Flashback***

 **Three years ago, at an airport…**

"Stupid alarm clock!" Jessie complained, as she was frantically rushing throughout the airport trying to get her flight. Because of her natural good looks and charisma, Jessie was asked by an ecstatic photographer to do a couple of photo shoots in a new city. At first, she refused, since she didn't like traveling and didn't want to leave her daughter alone. But after hearing that he planned to triple her usual rate, she couldn't exactly say 'no'.

" _I hate lying to her,"_ Jessie thought as she continued her trek to her flight. _"But I'm sure the extra $20 I give her for an allowance will make up for it."_

The adult actress continued running throughout the airport, until she, unfortunately, tripped while she was running. Luckily, she instinctively placed her hands in front of her, preventing her from landing on her face, but that didn't stop the contents of her suitcase came pouring out in the process.

Groaning, Jessie quickly began throwing her things back in her bag, not caring if they would fit or not.

"Need a hand?"

Jessie looked up as someone's shadow stood above her, blocking her light. She was about to tell them off, until she took a good look at the person. She was a beautiful black woman with a huge brown afro and a light blue uniform on. Jessie blinked at her.

"Uhh… sure." Jessie said, as she resumed picking up her stuff. The woman kneeled down beside her, and gradually began folding up her clothes, making sure they were neat.

"You don't have to do that." Jessie said, still in a rush. "I'm in a hurry, so I don't have time to make sure everything is neat."

"It's fine." The woman said, already finishing up. She then headed the shocked adult actress her suitcase with a smile. "Here you go."

"Uhh… thank you." Jessie said, still surprised.

"No problem." The woman said, still smiling. Jessie took a good look at her. She looked young, but seemed to be very mature. It's a shame she was in a rush. She would have loved to have stayed and chatted more.

"Ahh! My flight." Jessie yelled, noticing the time on a large clock. "Thanks for your help, love. Gotta go!" The adult actress then quickly zoomed away, resuming her journey back to her flight. Luckily, she made it with time to spare and took her seat, which, surprisingly, was in first class. The adult actress sighed as she leaned back in her seat.

"I could get used to this." She said, smiling to herself.

"Hi there." Someone said. "Can I get you anything?"

"Sure honey," Jessie said, looking at them. "I'll take a…"

At the point, Jessie stopped as she and the person she was talking was the same exact woman who had helped earlier. Before long, something in both of their brains clicked and they spoke to each other at the same time.

"You!"

 ***End Flashback***

"Wow," I said, surprised. "So, you two were on the same plane together?"

"Yup." Lola answered, smiling.

"That must have been a strange coincidence."

"I'll say." Jessie said, drinking a martini she had ordered. She then looked at Lola, frowning. "You know, speaking of which, you could have told me you were going to be on the flight. It would have saved me a lot of trouble."

"I didn't know you were going to be on the flight, honestly." Lola explained. "Besides, we had only just met one another right then and there."

"Yeah, yeah." Jessie said, waving her off as she finished her martini. She then stood up, stretching. "Well, I think I'm ready to move my body for bit." She then looked back at Lola and I. "How about you?"

"I'm in!" Lola agreed, standing up.

"Uhh… sure." I said, quickly finishing my drink. With that, I was back on the dance floor. If someone had told me a couple of weeks ago, I'd actually be dancing surrounded by a couple of hot women, I'd probably have knocked them flat. But now, as I said earlier, this had to be nothing more than a dream. A dream come true, might I add.

 **Halloween, Apartment- Midnight**

Before I knew it, the party had ended and it was time to leave. Beli and Nikki, true to their word, left the party earlier. A part of me wished they had stayed, but I didn't hold it against them. If not for Kyanna dragging me to the dance floor, I think I might have left with them. For that, I was thankful. Not surprising, Kyu won the costume contest the club was hosting. I was happy for her since I knew she deserved it. We all congratulated, even Audrey, though I knew she was pissed that she didn't win.

After that, we all went our separate ways, bidding each other goodnight. I smiled as Kyu and I finally reached my apartment.

"Woo!" Kyu yelled. "Tonight was awesome!"

"Yeah, I'm glad you enjoyed it." I said, stretching as I opened the door to my home.

"Hell yeah, I enjoyed it." She said, walking inside. "Man, I don't think I'll be able to go sleep after this. How bout you?" I looked at Kyu, cocking an eyebrow.

"Kyu, some of us aren't equipped with boundless energy." I said, scratching the back of my head. "As fun as tonight was, it tired me out. All I want is to take a hot shower, eat a few pieces of my candy and go to sleep."

"Boo, you're so boring." She said, complaining. I waved her off. "Oh well. You did good tonight, so I'll let you off."

"Yeah, yeah." I said. "Night."

"Night champ!" Kyu said, hopping on the couch in the living room. I sighed as I headed into the bathroom, starting up the shower. I smiled as the shower hit my body, relaxing me. All of the nights' events replayed in my mind as I eventually stepped out of the bath. I smiled as I dried myself off and threw on a t-shirt with some boxers.

I fell on my bed, not able to remove the little grin on my face. As my eyelids grew heavy, only one thought crossed my mind.

" _If this all truly was a dream,"_ I thought. _"Please do not wake me up."_

Smiling, I fell asleep, anxious for tomorrow's events, whatever they may be…

* * *

 **Well, that is the ending. Like I said, I didn't thoroughly enjoy this chapter. It was fun in the beginning, but as I continued, it just got frustrating. If you liked it, good. If not, I promise you the next chapter will be infinitely better. Until next time.**

 **P.S. I'd like to thank all those who gave their input about the polls last chapter. After much consideration, I've decided to leave future polls as they are. A lot of people like to view the results straight up. Sorry to those who disagreed. Majority rules, I'm afraid.**

 **P.P.S. Brownie points for whoever can guess where I got the excerpt for Kyu's outfit!**


	9. Special Edition: Huniepop Thanksgiving

**Well, here's the next chapter for you. Yes, I know that was quick. I excel at writing two chapters at once. I started writing this the first week of November. If you didn't like the last chapter, trust me, this chapter will more than make-up for it. I had a lot of fun writing it. I know I said this about Chapter 6, but I think this may be greatest work yet. It's certainly the longest, no doubt. The main reason was because, unlike the other chapters, this one doesn't focus on Charles at all. This one goes into the lives of all of the other girls instead. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. As I said, I had a ton of fun writing it.**

* * *

 **Friday, University Campus- Noon**

It was the last school day of the week before Thanksgiving, and everyone was eagerly anticipating the end of the day, so they could rush out of classes and get home to be with their families, get their shopping done, and generally, just have a good time. After all, Thanksgiving only came once a year, and it was a time of celebration and giving thanks. For soon after Thanksgiving, it would be time for the holiday season to commence. A time of singing Christmas carols, watching sappy Christmas specials on T.V., sending out cards, drinking eggnog, and numerous other occasions that happened this time of the year. Thus, it was no real surprise that everyone was anxious to get started.

In each class, the students were silently counting down the time they had left until they could leave.

"…Writing comes in many varied forms, as many of you already know." Mr. Collins of the English class said, as he began writing on the board, copying what he said directly from the textbook. "Many people don't feel that writing is a valid form of a profession, but if you look at today's world, and all that books and knowledge have done for us, you can see that words have changed life, not just for us, but for all of the world."

Several of the students opted to copy down what the professor was writing, while some chose to take a quick nap, as this was their last class for the entire week. Almost all of the class, however, was watching the clocks on both sides of the room with intense determination, not that the professor noticed.

" _5…4…3…2…1…"_ The students thought, silently counting down the seconds left. Suddenly, they all looked as the knob turned, reading 11:00 A.M.

" **Thanksgiving Holiday!"** They all yelled, startling some of the hard-working students, as well as the professor. Before they could be stopped, most of the students ran out of the classroom in a stampede.

" _I've taught high school students who were better behaved…_ " The elderly professor thought, shaking his head. He sighed, as he began cleaning off the board with an eraser. When he was done, he turned around and looked as there was only student left in the classroom, silently putting up his things.

"Well, I'm glad to see not **everyone's** in a mad rush to get out of the door." He said, smiling at the young man. "Questions about the lecture, son?"

"Huh?" The student said as he threw his book-bag onto his back. "Oh, uhh… no, thank you, sir." The young man answered. "I just have nowhere to go to but back to my dorm, so there's no real reason for me to rush out of here."

"Well, be that as it may, I'm glad to see this school still has such promise young people. You give an old man hope." The professor nodded, smiling.

"Thank you, sir." The young man nodded back, as he began walking out of the classroom. "Have a good break."

I sighed as I stepped out of the building, scratching the back of my head. I looked up at the sky, as the sun was shining, despite how cold it was. I shivered as I put my arms together as the cold wind was blowing.

" _Note to self: next time, bring a jacket or a coat in case of emergences_." I thought, as I walked down the steps of the building. I looked as there were only a few people left on campus, which wasn't really a big surprise since classes had been let out early. Sighing, I walked down the cold pavement back to my apartment.

 **Friday, Apartment Building- Afternoon**

I sighed as I finally reached my apartment, shivering. With how cold it was becoming, it was a sure sign that Winter was on its way, which was a sure sign that snow would be coming soon, which didn't exactly feel me with ease. I hated the cold, even more than I hated the heat.

" _Its time like this I wish this apartment came with a fireplace._ " I thought, as I walked inside. I sighed as the heat from the AC hit me, warming me back up.

" _Guess I'll get some hot coffee or something._ " I thought, walking into the kitchen and hitting the 'on' button to the coffee machine. I quickly set the settings, placed a cup on the device, and patiently waited for it to be filled. In less than a minute, my glass was filled to the brim, and I carefully sipped it. My body was filled with a warm glow in less than an instant.

Sighing blissfully, I walked to my room, and looked as Kyu was by my desk, watching another anime show. Judging from the explicit sounds coming from it, I could only guess that the show was a hentai or something. I sighed, waving it off.

"Hey Kyu." I said, walking into the room and setting my mug down. I then collapsed on the bed, exhausted. Kyu turned around, and smiled, hitting the 'pause' button the movie.

"Hey champ." She said, floating over towards me. "Long day?"

"Yup," I answered, yawning.

"Well hey, you got out early." Kyu said, sitting down on my bed. "That's good, right?"

"Yeah, I guess." I said, stretching on the bed. "You should have seen my class, though. The moment it read 11:00, the entire class just ran out of the room in the middle of the lecture."

"Well, can you blame them?" Kyu asked. "Thanksgiving is practically only time of year they get to be with their families. Besides Christmas time, of course."

"Hmm-mmm." I said, still laid out on my bed.

"Speaking of which, what are we doing for Thanksgiving?" Kyu asked. At that, I looked up at her, as her mouth was drooling. "I can hardly wait to bite into that large, delicious turkey you've got planned out for us."

"Well, I don't know what dinner table _you'll_ be eating at." I said, stressing the 'you' in the sentence. "But as for me, _I'll_ be ordering me two large sausage pizzas, drinking a couple of cold light beers and playing some video games on my computer."

"Huh?!" Kyu exclaimed, shocked. "You mean we're not going to have a big feast, with a turkey, some pumpkin pie, a ham, or any other of that stuff?!"

"Kyu, this may come as something of a shock to you, but not everyone is made of money." I explained, scowling at her. "I don't have that kind of dough to just throw away. I'm still saving up money to make sure we, at least, have a small Christmas tree to set up and some presents to buy."

"Well…" Kyu began, trying to think of an idea. "…What about your parents? Couldn't you just go down and have Thanksgiving with them?" I shook my head, 'no'.

"I would have bought an Amtrak ticket, but I spent all of my travel money on textbooks." I answered, frowning. "Which was a complete waste of time and money, might I add, since only two of my four teachers actually bothers to use those things anyway."

"Well, can't you ask your parents to send you some money to _buy_ a Thanksgiving dinner?" Kyu asked, upset. Again, I shook my head, 'no'.

"Apparently, that was too much to ask." I said, shaking my head at my thought. "They say that I need to start keeping better hold of my money, and that I need to be more _responsible_." I said, shaking my head again.

"So…" Kyu said, frowning. "No…Thanksgiving dinner?"

"Nope." I answered. "Sorry Kyu." Kyu didn't respond, and just sat on the bed, quietly. I sighed, and laid my arm over my eyes, tired. Before I knew it, I had kicked off my shoes and fell asleep, right there.

 **Thanksgiving Day, Apartment- Noon**

"And…done!" I said, outloud as I set down my pencil, finishing the last of my Algebra homework. "Took longer than I wanted, but at least it's over. For someone who complains that they don't like grading papers, Ms. Yumi sure does dish out a lot of homework."

Over the last few days, I just spent my time relaxing, catching up on some free time, whilst putting with Kyu's antics. Of course, for her whining and complaining, it was nice to have someone to talk to. I could have called some of the girls to hang out, but I didn't want to disturb them over their break. Kyu thought I was just being chicken, but I didn't really mind or care. Speaking of which, for some reason, I found myself thinking of all of them.

" _Wonder what they're doing right now…_ " I thought, as I turned to my laptop and clicked on a program for a game to start.

 **Thanksgiving Day, Maye Household- Noon**

"Tiffany dear," Tiffany's grandmother said, as she was busy peeling sweet potatoes by the sink in the kitchen. "You don't have to help prepare. You should be relaxing. This is Thanksgiving **break** , you know."

"It's fine!" The young cheerleader said, as she was wearing a white kitchen apron over her white t-shirt and blue jeans. "I had nothing else to do, since I finished all my class work and most of my friends are too busy to talk." She explained. "Sides, you and Granddad aren't getting any younger, ya' know."

" **Please** don't let your grandfather here you say that." The old woman said, rolling her eyes. "You and I know we'd never hear the end of it." At this, the young schoolgirl laughed.

"He certainly doesn't lack for spirit, does he?" Tiffany asked, as she began rolling up dough for some sweet rolls.

"No, he doesn't." Her grandmother answered, a smile on her face. "I suppose that's one of the reasons why I fell in love with him."

"Is he still upset that his leg is broken?" Tiffany asked, setting a timer on the oven.

"You know your grandfather, dear." The old woman said, still peeling sweet potatoes. "Even in his old age, he still has the heart of a young man. He can't accept doing things slowly, and he detests having people, especially those younger than him, help him with anything."

"Is that why he insisted on climbing the ladder and cleaning the rain gutters, himself?"

"Unfortunately." The old woman said, sighing. "I warned him that he could hurt himself, but he paid me no attention." She said, shaking her head as she set her knife down and washed her hands. "I suppose his bull-headedness is another reason why I fell in love with him."

"Exactly how many reasons is that so far, Grandma?" Tiffany asked, joking.

"Oh, hush you." The old woman said, hitting her with a dish rag. The two laughed as they resumed cooking, and within an hour the meal was nearly complete.

"Thank you for your help, sweetie." Her grandmother said, wiping her hands on her apron. "It'll take a while for the turkey to get ready, so you can go relax for a bit."

"Alright, I'm going to go take a shower." Tiffany said, taking off her apron and preparing to leave.

"Honey, before you go, there's something you should know…" Her grandmother said, stopping her.

"What is it?" Tiffany asked, turning back around.

"Well uhm," The old woman said, suddenly getting nervous.

"Grandma?" Tiffany asked, worried.

"Your uhm," Her grandmother said, trying to gather up the courage to say what she wanted to say. "…Your mother called."

"…Oh?" Tiffany said, her large eyes narrowing and her face turning into a frown. "…What did she want?"

"She just wanted to know how you were doing, is all." The old woman said, noticing her grandmother's look.

"…Typical." Tiffany said, not bothering to hide the hostile tone in her voice. "She couldn't even be bothered to call me, herself."

"She wanted to, dear. Honestly." Her grandmother said. "Its just that she's not ready to face you, yet."

" **She's** not ready to face **me**?!" Tiffany yelled, startling her grandmother. "How do you its not the other way around? Maybe **I'm** not ready to face **her**!"

"Honey please," The old woman said, pleading. "Its been almost two years now. Don't you think its high-time you two make up and go back to being mother and daughter again?"

"How can you even ask me that?!" Tiffany yelled, upset. "Do you think I can just forgive her for being what she is?! No, I can't!" The cheerleader turned away, her face red with anger.

"Besides Grandma, even if we did forgive one another, do you think it'll actually change anything? We both know the secret is out. Do you think the two of us can just play pretend and go back to acting like nothing's happened?"

"I'm not saying it'll be easy, dear. Few things ever truly are." Her grandmother said, her voice full of tenderness. "But things won't change if you don't, at least, make an attempt." Tiffany didn't respond, instead choosing to walk away, no longer in the mood to argue or talk. Her grandmother sighed as she watched her granddaughter walk away to her room to prepare for her shower.

The young cheerleader let the water from the shower head hit her as she silently washed herself up. As the water slid down her skin, memories of her and her mother's last encounter with one another flooded her mind…

 ***Flashback***

 **Two years ago, one day before Tiffany moved out of her mom's house…**

"I can't believe you!" Tiffany yelled, knocking over a flower vase, making water spill out on the floor, as well as the fake flowers that were situated in it.

"Sweetie please…" Jessie said, trying to calm her daughter down.

"Don't 'sweetie' me, mom!" Tiffany yelled, upset. She then held up a bunch of pictures in her left hand. " **This**?! Are you telling me **this** is what you do for a living?!"

The cheerleader threw the photos down onto the coffee table, making it plain for all to see what was on them. They were all explicit pictures of Jessie; some of them were her in revealing outfits posing for the camera, and others were pictures of her having intercourse with different men.

"W-where did you…" The adult actress began before her daughter cut her off.

"Where did I find them?" The daughter asked, finishing her mother's question. "They were in a large envelope on your bed, along with a large stack of money."

"S-sweetie, I w-was going to tell you…" The shocked mother began before once again being cut off by her daughter.

"Oh really?!" Tiffany yelled. "And when was **that** going to be, I wonder? Were you planning on telling me when I'd be too old to care anymore?! Or were you planning on keeping it a secret, and hoping that I'd never find out about it?"

"No! I-I was going to tell you! I-it's just that…"

"Stop lying to me!" The daughter yelled, upset. Tears began forming in her eyes, and she looked down, not wanting her mother to see her cry.

"All those times…" Tiffany began, her hair covering her face. "All those times you've been away from home, saying you're busy with work, when really all you were doing is just whoring yourself out to a bunch of perverted, old men."

"…I'm sorry." Jessie said, not finding anything to say in her defense.

"Yeah, so am I." Tiffany said, walking away to her room, slamming her door in the process. The mother looked at the photos, still present on the coffee table, and sighed as quickly gathered them up, discarding them she and her daughter would no longer have to see them. She then walked to her bedroom, and softly cried herself to sleep.

 **Day of Tiffany's departure…**

"Mom." Tiffany said, startling her, who was quietly cooking some breakfast for the two of them in the kitchen.

"Oh!" Jessie exclaimed, as her daughter got her attention. "You scared me, Tiff…" The mother began, before she saw that her daughter was carrying some suitcases in both hands and had a large bag on her back. "Sweetie, what's with the bags?"

"…I'm moving out." Tiffany said, looking away.

"Moving out?" Her mother repeated. "I don't understand."

"I'm going to go live with Grandma and Grandpa." Tiffany said, looking at her mother. "I called them last night. They're already on their way here."

"But… why?" Jessie asked.

"Why?" Tiffany repeated. "Why?! You know perfectly well 'why'!" She shouted. "I'm sorry mother, but I can't live in this house anymore. Not with you or your… lifestyle."

"But…" Jessie said, not understanding.

"I'm sorry, mother." Tiffany said, once again. "Maybe things will work out. Maybe they won't. I don't know. All I know is that right now, I need some space."

With that, the young cheerleader turned around, heading for the foyer, lugging her heavy suitcases with her.

"But… sweetie, wait!" Jessie said, running after her daughter, grabbing her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Tiffany yelled, pushing her mother's hand off of her. "Don't. Just… don't." She said, her hair covering her face again. The mother obeyed her daughter, and the two stood there in awkward silence, not able to say anything. It was only when a car horn from outside, shook them out of their dazed splendor.

"That's probably them." Tiffany said, speaking to no one in particular. She opened the door to the house and stepped outside, where her grandparents were waiting. She greeted them, still a bit upset as she silently put her bags in the car. She got in the backseat of the vehicle and didn't dare to look back at the house which she was leaving. Before she knew it, the car was moving, and away they went.

Back in the house, Jessie watched the car leave from the living room window, and fell on her knees, saddened. She knew right then and there, her daughter was truly out of her reach…

 ***End Flashback***

It had been almost two years since then, and Tiffany hadn't seen hide nor hair of her mother since. She knew her mother was still worried about her, as she could tell when she was talking to her Grandmother or not. Her grandmother would often point at the phone, silently asking if she wanted to talk. The response was always the same: a silent glare and a fierce shake of the head, meaning 'no'. She always wondered why her mom was still worried about her. Tiffany had made it clear she wanted nothing to do with her ever again. So why?

Sighing, the young cheerleader turned the faucet to the shower off, and got out, wrapping a towel around herself as she walked to her bedroom. As she walked in her room, she quietly walked to her desk and opened the first top shelf. Reaching her hand inside, she pulled a large picture frame and quietly stared at it. Inside of it was a picture of her and her mother, when the two barely looked as they did now.

" _Why?_ " Tiffany wondered. " _Why couldn't you just tell me the truth?_ " She stared at the picture a while longer, blinking only occasionally.

"Tiffany!" A loud, gruff voice from downstairs called up to her, interrupting her thoughts. "Come on down, dinner is done!"

"Uhm, okay!" She yelled back. "I'll be right down."

The young cheerleader took one last look at the picture then gently set it back into her drawer. She swiftly dressed herself in a pink and white dress and walked downstairs into the kitchen. She quickly took her seat as her grandmother had finished setting the food on the table. Her grandfather was seated on the other end of the table, silently reading the newspaper.

"Hey Granddad." Tiffany said. The old man simply grunted as he turned to another page in the paper. The cheerleader rolled her eyes, used to her grandfather's ways.

"Well before we start eating, shall we say what we are most thankful for?" Tiffany's grandmother suggested.

"Sure," Her grandfather said. "I'm thankful for food we're about to eat."

"Simple as always, dear." The old woman said, rolling her eyes. "I'm thankful for my granddaughter, and for the goals she's set for herself."

"Thanks Grandma." Tiffany said, smiling. The young cheerleader sighed as she tried to think of something she was thankful for. She knew what it was, but didn't know if she could say it.

"…I'm most thankful for…"

 **Thanksgiving Day, Delrio Household- Afternoon**

"Oh come on!" A 17-year-old boy shouted out, as he was watching the football game on T.V. in the family living room. "What the heck was that?!"

"What happened?" A violet-eyed hairdresser asked, as she came out of the kitchen, stirring some batter in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

"The quarterback got sacked…again!" The 17-year-old answered, upset.

"What?! Are you serious?!" The hairdresser yelled, shocked. "That's like the third time this game!"

"I know, right?" The teenager said, groaning. "How these guys ever made it to the playoffs, I'll never know."

"Could you two be any **louder**?" A 15-year-old girl complained, as she was sitting in a large red recliner, a large paperback book in her hands. "Some of us are trying to read here."

"F.Y.I. Emma, **we** were here first." The 17-year-old said, scowling at the 15-year-old. "If we're bothering you so badly, why don't you go to your **room** and read?"

"Because dear brother," the girl known as Emma said, setting her book down and looking at him. "Unlike you, some of us don't have the privilege of having a room all to ourselves."

"Well, that's just too bad, now is it?" The 17-year-old said, mocking his sister.

"No one asked for your opinion, David." Emma said, upset. "So if you could please keep your mouth shut for the next half hour, I'd greatly appreciate it."

"Oh yeah, why don't you come over here and make me?" David dared, glaring at her sister

"That's enough!" The woman said, preventing the argument from escalating any further. "Emma, if you want a place to read, you can take my room for a bit, okay?"

"…Fine." The girl said, scowling at her brother, before getting up and leaving.

"Just try to be quiet when you go in, okay? Phillip is still sleeping."

"I know." Emma said, walking up to the 2nd story of the house, into her older sister's room.

"Seesh, why do you put up with her, Kyanna?" David asked, once his younger sister was out of earshot. "It always seems like she's mad or angry about something."

"She's just frustrated." Kyanna said, as she began pouring the batter from the bowl into a muffin pan. "Unlike you and Daniel, she doesn't have a room to herself. She has to share everything with Sara and Zoë."

"Okay, and?" David asked, shrugging. "Doesn't give her the right to just demand stuff of people."

"Well, put yourself in her shoes." Kyanna said, putting the muffin pan in the oven for the muffins to bake. "How would you feel if had to room with Daniel?"

"You say that like I haven't before." David said, rolling his eyes. "The two of us shared a room for a year and a half before I turned the old family den into my room."

"Speaking of which, it would have been nice if you had asked permission before doing that." Kyanna said, a bit peeved.

"What would have been the point?" David asked, shrugging. "It's not like anyone went in there, anyway."

"That's not the point." Kyanna said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Sorry sis. Game's back on." David said, giving the T.V. his full attention once more.

The exasperated mother sighed and waved off her younger brother, heading back into the kitchen to hurry and finish up the meal for her family. She occasionally heard her brother's shouts from the living room, as well as her younger sisters' voices, as they played upstairs in their room. She could imagine Emma was in her room with Phillip, silently reading, and Daniel was probably still asleep, after a night of playing video games. She smiled to herself, pleased that things were calm for the moment. Ever since their parents had died in a fatal car accident almost three years ago, Kyanna had done her best to keep her family together, despite their loss. Though she had to make some serious sacrifices, such as dropping out of high school in her third year, she had no regrets.

Though times were tough for everyone, especially considering there were seven mouths to feed in the house, they still managed to get by. Luckily, Kyanna's boss at the hair salon was sympathetic enough to give her a short raise to help her family out. And it wasn't just her. David, being the second-oldest, helped out whenever they could. Because this was his last year in high school, David was able to leave school two hours early, which meant more time to help out around the house. Though his commitment to his school's football team got in the way at times, Kyanna was still grateful for his help.

As she was busy stirring up some vegetable stew, her mind went to her son, Phillip. Though his birth was unplanned, she didn't regret it. In fact, his birth was just one more reason why Kyanna hoped to fulfill her dream of becoming a famous celebrity someday. Though there were times when he irritated her, still loved him, and was glad to have him. The smile that was present on her face grew bigger as she continued cooking.

 **An hour later…**

"Whew, finally done!" Kyanna said, collapsing in a chair in the dining room.

"So, dinner's ready?" David asked, standing up from his chair in the living room. "I'm starving."

"Almost." Kyanna answered. "Just waiting for the turkey to finish cooking."

"Cool. I'm going to go wash up." The teenager said, walking upstairs.

"Get your siblings while you're up there, will ya?" Kyanna called after him.

"Yeah, yeah." David said, waving her off.

The hairdresser sighed as she put her head on the back of the seat.

"I'm tired as hell, but it was worth it." She said, speaking to herself. She perked up, as she heard her footsteps coming down the stairs. She sighed as she could tell who it was without even looking up.

"Zoë! Sara!" She yelled, calling out the names of her sisters. "What did we say about running down the stairs?"

"Sorry Kyanna!" The sisters called out, as the proceeded to walk down from the second-story.

The hairdresser sighed as her sisters appeared from upstairs. She took a good look at them and sighed at the twins.

" _The two of them couldn't be more similar if they tried."_ Kyanna thought looking at them. Born mere minutes apart from one another, the two six-year-olds did almost everything together. If they weren't together, it usually meant the sign of something drastic.

" _At least that's what mother always said."_ Kyanna thought.

"Is dinner ready yet, sis?" Zoë asked.

"We're hungry, and David said it was ready." Sara said, finishing for her sister.

"It's almost ready." Kyanna answered. "Go wash your hands."

"Okay!" The two yelled, running to the nearest bathroom. The hairdresser sighed once more, and got up to check on her turkey. Looking at it from the oven window, she nodded to herself and opened it up, pulling it out.

"Hey sis." Someone said, surprising the hairdresser. She looked up as it was her 13-year old brother, Daniel, wearing a large blue t-shirt and some boxers.

"Well, look who decided to grace us with their presence." Kyanna joked. "You know, all those video games are going to rot your brain."

"Whatever." Daniel said, waving her off as he sat down at his seat at the dinner table. "Is dinner ready?"

"Yes, just waiting for everyone to get here." Kyanna answered, putting the turkey on the table.

"I'm here." David said, walking down the stairs with Emma following behind him, silently. The two took their seats on the opposite sides of the table, not bothering to acknowledge each other.

"Was Philip still asleep, Emma?" Kyanna asked. Emma nodded, looking down at her plate.

"We're back!" Zoë and Sara said together, as they took their seats near each other, in between David and Daniel.

"Well, we're all here then." Kyanna said. "Before we begin eating, let's start by saying what we're all thankful for. David?" She said, calling on her younger brother.

"Uhh… I'm guess I'm thankful for this being my last year before I head off to college to play football." He answered.

"That's cool, dude." Kyanna said. "Emma?"

"…I'm thankful for David leaving soon, which means I'll eventually have my own room."

"Screw you." David said, scowling at his sister.

"David…" Kyanna said, a warning tone in her voice. She then looked at her younger sister, scowling. "Emma, be a little more grateful to your brother, okay?"

"Whatever." The broody teenager said, turning away. Kyanna sighed, not bothering to get into it right now.

"Daniel, your turn." She said, calling on her 2nd brother.

"Me? I guess I'm thankful that I'll soon pass the final level on the video game I'm playing right now." Everyone at the table rolled their eyes, not bothering to respond to that.

"Zoë and I are thankful we have a room to share with each other to play!" Sara said, loudly.

"Aww, I wanted to say that!" Zoë complained.

"That's very nice, you two." Kyanna said, smiling.

"What about you, sis?" David said. "What are you thankful for?"

"That's easy. I'm thankful for…"

 **Thanksgiving Day, Lapran Household- Evening**

"Don't you think you're adding a little too much sauce to the turkey, Lola?" A certain yoga instructor said, as she eyed the amount of gravy that was being poured onto a Thanksgiving turkey by a certain airline stewardess.

"Nonsense, Beli." Lola said, as she continue dousing the large pan of meat with brown gravy. "My grandmother used to cook turkeys like this all the time when I was young. 'The more gravy on it, the better', she would always say."

"Yes, but…" Beli said, a worried tone in her voice as she eyed the pan that was being filled to the brim with brown sauce. "There is such a thing as _too_ much."

"Trust me, Beli." Lola said as she continued pouring. "This will make the turkey taste a lot better. And if it is too much, we'll just pour some of it out. No problem."

"Well…" Beli said, scratching the back of her head. "…if you say so."

"I seriously cannot believe you two are talking over the most important part of the show!" A certain college professor complained, as she was sitting on the couch in Beli's living room, watching a sappy soap opera.

"Seriously." A popular adult actress said, agreeing with her friend, as she sat beside her friend. "I mean, we already know that Diego was revealing to Cathy that he was sleeping with her best friend, Dorothy, but still, it kinda ruins the effect if you don't hear it for yourself."

"You know, when you and Aiko first called me this morning asking if we'd all have Thanksgiving together, I initially agreed because I was under the belief that you'd help out." Beli said, frowning.

"What are you talking about? We _are_ helping out." Aiko said.

"Oh? And in what way, might I ask?" Beli questioned. "Because it seems that ever since you've been here, all you and Jessie have done is clean out my refrigerator and claim dominance over my television."

"That is not true." Jessie said. "We're helping out in our own way. We're… _moral_ _support_."

"Moral support?" Lola repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes babe," Jessie answered. "We're out here rooting for you two to cook us all a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner."

"Yeah, if we were in there, we'd just be in the way." Aiko said, agreeing with her friend. "We're way more useful out here."

"By sitting on the couch and watching T.V. while we do all the work?" Lola asked, frowning.

"You know it, love." Jessie said, smiling as she and Aiko began laughing out loud. Beli and Lola looked at each other, annoyed, before rolling their eyes.

"You know, I think I may just take a large chuck of your servings for that." Beli said, frowning as she went back to work.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Aiko asked. "I thought you were dieting."

"Hey, that's right." Jessie said, agreeing with Aiko. "You haven't been cheating on your diet now, have you, love?"

"What?!" Beli exclaimed. "O-of course not!"

"Oh? Then what were all the snacks we found in your fridge then?" Aiko asked. "Leftover pizza, an unopened pack of hot dogs, some hamburger patties, a liter of cola…"

"Some potato chips in your pantry, some frozen French fries in your freezer, a box of chicken tenders…" Jessie said, numbering off the food list with Aiko.

"Okay!" Beli shouted, blushing. "You're right. But everyone deserves a free day now and then, right?"

"And often exactly do you take a "free day"?" Lola asked, smirking.

"W-well, uhm…" Beli said, trying to think of a good excuse.

"Well?" Lola pestered, leaning in close to her friend.

"Okay, fine!" Beli yelled again, embarrassed. "My diet hasn't gone anywhere! I'm weak when it comes to junk food! Is it my fault its so good?"

"Oh Honey…" Jessie said, suddenly slipping up behind Beli.

"Huh?" Beli said. She then suddenly screamed outloud as she felt her chest being grabbed and groped. "Eek!"

"We're just having some harmless fun." Jessie said, still groping her friend's breasts, flirting with her. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, whatever doesn't go down to your thighs always ends up going here, to your chest."

"J-Jessie…" Beli moaned out. "S-stop it…"

"You know, it's a shame you don't have breasts like mine." Jessie said, still not letting go. "If they were just a teensy bit bigger, we could have some real fun…" She then licked the outside of her friend's ear, making her moan again.

"S-stop…" Beli moaned again. "Lola! Aiko! H-help!" She cried out, calling for her friends.

"Woo!" Aiko yelled out, enjoying the show. "Lose some clothes! It's no fun if there's no nudity involved."

"Careful lover," Lola said, standing off to the side, smirking. "Anymore of this, and Beli may pass out from shock."

"That's fine." Jessie said, winking to her friend. "I always wanted to try my hand at CPR."

"I-I hate you all…" Beli moaned out.

 **Minutes later…**

After several minutes of teasing and shameless flirting, the group got back to work, with Jessie and Aiko finally deciding to help. Beli refused to speak to any of her friends, as she was still thoroughly embarrassed, though they all knew she'd get over by the time dinner was prepared. Truthfully, Beli expected this from Jessie whenever the two of them were together. She would get Beli to do things that she wasn't comfortable with or shamelessly flirt with her in front of people. Though it annoyed her, she knew it was just harmless fun, even though she wished dearly that she'd stop.

As she was waiting for the pie she had in the oven to finish baking, Jessie took a good look at the other women in the kitchen with her. She couldn't help but smile at all of them. Ever since her daughter left the house, she had to admit its been very lonely. She really had no one to communicate with. Yes, she had fans of her work, but she couldn't exactly talk to them about her problems. She was fortunate enough to find three unique women who didn't judge her or her lifestyle.

She looked at Lola, who was washing off some lettuce in the kitchen sink. She admired the headstrong woman, not only because she was her first friend, but also because of her strong-willed personality. Though there was a huge age difference between the two of them, that didn't stop them from them becoming fast friends. Besides the fact that she didn't judge her lifestyle, Lola was also the only one among them that she could talk to when she was stressed out or hurting. Aiko had problems of her own, and Jessie couldn't really trust her to keep her mouth shut. Beli was reliable, but Jessie was looking for comfort and acceptance, not chastisement.

As she thought on these things, the adult actress was reminded of the night when her daughter first left their house…

 ***Flashback***

 **Lola's House, Night on the Day of Tiffany's Departure…**

It was a little after midnight and Lola, after a day of dealing with rude passengers and noisy children, finally managed to get some time to herself. It would be a few days before they would need her back at work, so she was going to spend that time to herself. After a quick dinner and a nice, relaxing bubble bath, the airline stewardess fell into her bed, and soon fell asleep. An hour later, however, she was awoken by the sound of her ringtone from her cell phone.

"Hello?" Lola moaned out, tired.

"Hey Lola!" A drunken voice on the other end, yelled out, shocking Lola. "You bitch. You know you're supposed to call me when you get back in town!"

"Jessie?" Lola asked, around knowing it was her friend on the other end. She looked at the clock on her nightstand as it read 1:08 A.M.

"Hey, you mind if I sleep on your couch tonight?" Jessie asked. "I'm in the area, and I, uh, drank a bit too much and… I can't really drive my car or anything… or the police will give me a D.U.I. again." Lola frowned as this was just another drunken call from her friend.

"Jess, it's one in the morning." She complained. "I was sleeping, for like the first time in two days. Can't you just call a cab?"

"Nah, sleepovers are way more fun." Jessie said, still on her phone. Lola couldn't help but notice that her voice sounded strangely closer. "Don't worry, though. I still had the keys to your place."

"Huh?!" Lola exclaimed. She quickly jumped out of bed, and ran to the entranceway to see her drunken friend walking in the door.

"Hey you!" Jessie said, greeting her friend as she sluggishly made her way down the hall, not aware where she was going.

"How did you get in my house?!" Lola asked, still shocked.

"You… lent me a key, remember?" Jessie answered, still sluggishly walking. She quickly grabbed onto her friend, latching her neck. As she did, she took a good look at her friend. "Hey, you are… pretty damn sexy right now. Did you… do something…with your hair?"

"Jess, you're drunk." Lola said, lifting her friend up. "That's just the liquor talking."

"No, its true." Jessie said. "You are… damn sexy. In fact, I think I want you to do something for me…"

"What is it?" Lola asked, rolling her eyes and sighing.

"…Get me… to a…bathroom…" Jessie said.

"Huh?" Lola said, not understanding.

"Bathroom, now." Jessie said, before she started turning green and making hacking noises.

"You're throwing up?!" Lola yelled. Jessie nodded vigorously, looking around for a place to puke.

"Ahh! Not on my floor! Go to the sink! Or the toilet or something!"

 **20 minutes later…**

After the whole fiasco, Lola sighed as she pulled a shirt out of her closet for Jessie to wear for when she got out of the shower. Finding a black and yellow t-shirt good enough, she laid it on the bed for her, and patiently for her friend to get out of the bathroom. Soon enough, the door opened, and out came her friend, a towel wrapped around her body and her head.

"Ahh." Jessie moaned, as she walked out of the bathroom, steam coming out behind her. "Nothing like a shower to make a girl feel better. Thanks love!"

"Yeah, yeah." Lola said, waving her off. "Hurry up and put on your shirt." Jessie nodded and looked at the t-shirt her friend had loaned her. She frowned as she looked at it.

"Okay seriously, first thing in the morning, we are taking you shopping." Jessie said, as she quickly slipped on the shirt. "These clothes are absolutely horrendous."

"Horrendous?!" Lola yelled out. "My clothes are fine, thank you very much."

"Sure they are love, but with my help, they'll be even better." Jessie said, smiling at herself as she fixed her hair in the mirror.

"Whatever." Lola said, not allowing her friend to change the subject. "Now, you want to explain why you decided to invade my house at 1 in the morning?"

"Yeah, sorry about that." Jessie said, sitting on her friend's bed. "It's just been a really bad day, and I needed an outlet, so…"

"So…?" Lola said, waiting for her friend to finish. When she didn't respond, Lola walked over and looked at her friend, who had fallen asleep mid-sentence.

"Of course." Lola said, rolling her eyes, annoyed. Sighing, she pulled her friend up the bed, and covered her up with her blankets. She left the room, turning off the lights and headed to the couch to get some sleep.

 **Next morning…**

Lola awoke the next morning as something good entered her nostrils. She blinked once or twice, as she stretched, sitting up on the couch. She rubbed her eyes, and stood up, heading for the kitchen. She walked in, and looked surprised as Jessie was cooking breakfast.

"Uhm…" Lola said, too surprised to say anything.

"Morning love." Jessie said, as she laid some eggs on a plate. "Hope you don't mind I used some of the food from your fridge to make something to eat. I was hungry when I woke up this morning, and I wanted to apologize for last night."

"Uhh… it's fine." Lola said, still surprised. She sat down and looked as her friend put a plate in front of her, with some orange juice on the side. After making her own plate, Jessie sat down beside her friend, as they began eating.

"What do you think?" Jessie asked, as her friend tried her food.

"It's good." Lola said, smiling. "Thanks."

"No problem." Jessie said. "Honestly, this is the first time I've cooked for someone other than myself or my…" The adult actress let the sentence hang there as she couldn't finish it. It didn't go unnoticed by her friend, who looked at her, worried.

"Jessie," Lola said, leaning close. "Is something wrong?"

"…It's nothing." Jessie said, lying.

"No, it is something." Lola said, frowning. "You might not know this, but I was really worried about you, last night. Its very rare to see you wasted, since your tolerance for alcohol is high. So something must have forced you to drink more than what you know is your limit. So, what is it?"

"…" Jessie didn't answer, instead keeping her head down, so that her face wasn't visible.

"Jessie, please." Lola begged. "If something is bothering you, I can't help if you don't tell me."

"…I'm sorry." Jessie whispered.

"Huh?" Lola said, not hearing her. She then looked shocked as Jessie suddenly hugged her, sobbing in her chest.

"I'm sorry." She cried, still sobbing.

"Jess, honey." Lola said, speaking softly. "What's wrong? What happened?" Jessie sniffed, looking up at her, her eyes red and full of tears.

"I…I messed up, Lola." Jessie said, in between tears. "I messed up bad. Really bad."

"Messed up? Messed up how?" Jessie finally stopped crying enough to tell Lola her story about her daughter and their fight. Lola stayed silent the entire time until her friend finished her story.

"…So she left." Jessie said, finishing up. "Left to go live with my parents."

"I see." Lola said, nodding. "And she didn't even say goodbye?"

"No," Jessie answered. "I don't blame her for it. I probably would have done the same thing." She then sighed, mindlessly picking at her food with her fork. "I really screwed up."

"Honey, stop saying that." Lola reprimanded. "You didn't screw anything up."

"But I did!" Jessie argued. "If I had just told her earlier..."

"If you had told earlier, she'd probably still be here?" Lola finished.

"Yes!" Jessie shouted. "You don't know my daughter, Lola. Ever since she was just a little girl, Tiffany's always hated lies and secrets. She's always preferred the truth, even if its something she might not want to hear."

"Okay, let's just say you did tell her." Lola said. "Maybe she would have accepted it. Maybe she wouldn't have. The fact is we'll never know."

"Huh?" Jessie said, not understanding.

"Listen hun," Lola said, putting her hand on top of Jessie's. "There's no point crying about things that can't be undone. All it does is waste time and cause more stress. The only thing that you can do is just hope for the best, alright?"

"Hope for the best?" Jessie repeated, confused.

"Yeah, just hope that your daughter will get over her anger and be willing to talk to you. Sooner rather than later." Lola encouraged.

"…Alright." Jessie said, wiping her eyes. "Thanks."

"No problem." Lola said, a smile on her face. "So, come on. Hurry and finish eating so we can go."

"Go?" Jessie said, confused. "Go where?"

"Did you forget?" Lola asked, smirking. "Last night, you said we were going shopping for clothes."

"Oh! Right." Jessie said, immediately standing up from her seat. "Well then, what are we waiting for?"

And with that, the two quickly changed and prepared themselves for Girls' Day Out.

 ***End Flashback***

"Jessie…" Someone called out to the adult actress. "Jessie!"

"Huh?" Jessie said, snapping out of her daze. She looked as Lola was staring at her, her left eyebrow raised.

"You okay?" Lola asked. "You were staring out into space."

"Yeah," Jessie answered. "Just thinking, is all."

"Oh? About what?" Lola questioned.

"Just…" Jessie said, trying to think of a plausible lie. "…Just how delicious that turkey is going to taste."

"Oh, trust me, honey" Lola said, smiling proudly. "Just thinking about that turkey doesn't do it justice. You haven't lived until you've actually experienced it."

"Well considering how much gravy you poured onto it, the experience might not last long." Aiko said, overhearing our conversation as she was tossing some lettuce in a salad bowl.

"The gravy is just there to add flavor." Lola explained. "It tastes fine, with or without it."

"Then why add it all?" Beli asked, preparing some stuffing.

"Argh, I just told you. It adds flavor." Lola said, rolling her eyes. "Look, just trust me on this, okay?"

"If you say so, lover." Jessie said.

"Yes, I do say so!" Lola exclaimed, joking.

At this, all four women laughed and continued cooking. Within an hour, the meal was prepared and all four women were prime and ready.

"Well Beli?" Aiko said, looking at her as the turkey was placed in the center of the table by Lola.

"Well, what?" Beli asked, staring at her friend.

"Aren't you going to say grace?" She asked, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh! Right." Beli said, hitting herself in the head. She cleared her throat, prepared to pray.

"Hold on." Jessie said, stopping her.

"Argh, what is it?" Aiko said, anxious to begin eating.

"Here's an idea," Jessie stated. "How about we all say what we're grateful and leave it at that?"

"That's a good idea." Beli said, smiling.

"I'm down for it." Lola agreed, nodding.

"Sure, fine." Aiko said, shrugging. "Whatever gets me into this salad faster."

"Let's do it then." Jessie said, as each woman cleared their throats and prepared to speak.

"I am most grateful for…"

 **Thanksgiving Day, Belrose Apartment- Evening**

"…And get this, he has the nerve to get upset when I tell him that I'm dumping him because he's not fun anymore. Can you believe that?" A bitchy queen bee complained as she was sitting on her bed, painting her toenails, whilst talking on her cell phone.

"…Fascinating." The voice on the other end said, though it was obvious that it wasn't listening. And if it was, then it really didn't care.

"I mean, what do you expect? If you're going to blow me off just so you can concentrate on your schoolwork, of course I'm going to dump you!"

"Wow." The voice sarcastically said, still not interested the least in the conversation it was engaged in.

"Argh, this day totally blows." The queen bee said, as she switched feet, painting the toes on her other foot now. "Not only is Lusties' not open, but even the mall is closed today. I'm so bored!"

"Well, it **is** Thanksgiving, Audrey." The voice said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Most people don't feel like working on holidays. They have families and lives outside of their workplace."

"Whatever." Audrey said, not caring. "Like I said, I'm bored. Why don't you come over and keep me company?"

"No." The voice said instantly. "I'm busy."

"Busy? Busy with what?!" Audrey questioned.

"Work." The voice answered.

"Work? What work?! You don't do anything but play games all day!"

"First of all, that is not all I do." The voice explained. "As fun video games are, I do do other stuff, ya' know."

"Like what?" Audrey questioned.

"Art."

"Art? That's what you're so busy with? Drawing?"

"Yes."

"You can draw anytime!" Audrey argued.

"Just like I can hang out with you, _anytime_." The voice argued back. "Or at least until you drag me out against my will again."

"Argh, whatever! Bye!" Audrey said, hanging up. She growled, and was tempted to throw her phone threw the wall, but thought against it as really didn't want to pay to get a new one.

"Argh, sometimes I really can't stand her!" The queen bee spoke aloud. "We rarely hang out as it is, yet she chooses to forsake a day of hanging out just so she can draw. Some friend she is!"

The queen bee sighed and stood up from her bed, putting up her nail polish.

"This fucking blows. No one to hang out with on a day where we basically have a week off from school."

Sighing once again, the red head grabbed a pack of cigarettes and her lighter lying on her dresser and made her way towards her living room. She sighed as she lit the cigarette and puffed on it, allowing the nicotine to make its way throughout her body, instantly relaxing her.

" _They all don't know what they're missing with these things."_ She thought as she turned on the T.V. in the room. _"I don't care what the commercials say. These things are bliss-personified. After all, how can something bad for you be so good?"_

Sighing once again, Audrey prepared to lie down on her couch until she felt her stomach growl.

"That reminds me," She said, speaking out loud again. "I haven't eaten since breakfast." Walking to her kitchen, she opened her refrigerator and pulled out some leftover Chinese noodles she had order the night before. She looked as the container was half-empty. She debated whether ordering more or just making due with what she had now. Deciding on the latter, she quickly warmed up her food in her microwave and walked back to the living room, turning on the T.V.

Just as she was about to start digging in, something stopped her.

"Thanksgiving…" She said to herself. "Yeah right. I'd be more thankful if the freaking mall and nightclub were open."

Taking one last puff of her cigarette, the red head quickly snuffed it out in an ashtray that was nearby. Taking another look at her food, she groaned.

"Fine!" She shouted to no one in particular.

"…If there's anything in this world that I'm **grateful** for, its…"

 **Thanksgiving Day, Ann-Marie Apartment- Evening**

Nikki sighed as Audrey hung up on her, not that she was complaining.

"Finally." She said, tossing her cell phone somewhere. She moved back into the position she was in before her friend called, which was on her bed with her back against the wall and her knees close to her chest, with a sketchpad in her lap, drawing. She sighed as she tried to remember where she had left off on her work.

" _Why is it she always has to complain to me when things don't go right in her life?"_ The shy girl thought. _"I'm not here to be her listening ear whenever she wants to whine about what goes on in her life."_

Sighing once again, the recluse started drawing on a new sheet of a paper. Ever since she was a preteen, Nikki's always loved playing RPG's (role-playing games), whether they were board games or video games. Though she loved playing them, what she loved even more was acting them out and envisioning them in her mind what she wanted them to be like. She always had a natural gift for art, but didn't discover it until four years ago when she had just started high school.

"Should I make his eyes larger or…?" She said, speaking to herself as she was drawing what looked like an Elf. She groaned as she erased her mistake and tried to re-do it.

"No, that's not right…" she said, chastising herself, using her large pink eraser once again. "No, it has to be… no, not like that…"

As if going around in a circle, the shy girl would draw or color something, then erase it. Eventually, she shouted and threw her sketchbook somewhere in her room, before collapsing on her bed, frustrated.

"Maybe I _should_ have listen to my parents and taken those art classes," she said outloud. Sighing, the blue-haired girl sat up and walked out of her room to her kitchen. Opening her freezer, she pulled a tub of ice cream out and walked back in her room to her computer. Turning it on and entering her password, she clicked on a program that opened an MMORPG.

She sighed, as she dug into the tub of ice cream with a spoon and waited for the game to load. After a couple of seconds, she slipped her headset on as her character appeared on screen.

"Hey, you there?" A voice came on through her headset.

"Yeah," Nikki answered, digging into her ice cream again. "Hold on, waiting for the screen to load."

"K." The voice said. "You okay? You sound down."

"I'm fine." Nikki said, setting her ice cream down and setting her hands on her keyboard and mouse as the screen loaded up. "Alright, I'm ready."

"Same here." The voice said. For the next hour, the two spent their time talking and playing with each other on the computer game. It may seem boring to some, but to them, it was wholesome fun.

"…You have the items that shopkeeper wanted?" The voice asked.

"No," Nikki answered, typing something on her screen. "To get that, you have to go to a different realm."

"Ah. I'll get it later then."

"You sure?" Nikki asked. "I can wait."

"Na, I like playing with you when I get the chance." The voice said, making Nikki blush.

"…Thanks." Nikki said.

"For what?"

"…Nothing."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Nikki answered.

"Alright." The voice spoke. For a while, the two played in silence, until the voice spoke again. "You do anything for Thanksgiving?"

"Besides, draw and eat a tub of ice cream?" Nikki asked. "Not much. You?"

"Nope. Besides ordering a few pizzas." The voice answered.

"Lucky you." Nikki said, sarcastically.

"You should have told me. You could have come over and we could have shared one."

"No, its fine. I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Really Nikki, its fine." The voice said. "It gets lonely here by myself, ya' know."

"Lonely? Isn't your cousin living with you? Whatsername?"

"Kyu?" The voice answered. "Kyu is fine, but she's a family, so I can't really talk her about certain things."

"And you can talk to me about them?" Nikki asked.

"Well, we are friends, aren't we?"

"…Friends?" Nikki repeated.

"Yeah, I'd have thought after all this time talking we'd have been friends by now."

"…You dummy." Nikki said.

"Huh?"

"Sorry." Nikki apologized. "Its just… no one's called me friend since Audrey."

"But you don't consider her a friend, do you?"

"Of course not." Nikki answered, scowling. "If anything, she's the one who claims we're friends. I don't."

"Ah." The voice said. "But seriously Nikki, I do consider you to be a friend. Its alright if you don't."

"No, I do." Nikki swiftly answered. "It's just… what exactly do friends do?"

"Well, don't they do what we're doing now?"

"Yeah… I guess so."

"Cool. So, its official, right?"

"Yeah, we're friends." Nikki said, smiling.

"That's good." The voice said.

"Yeah…"

After that, the two silently continued playing until they noticed the light outside was nearly gone.

"Wow, how long have we been playing?" The voice asked.

"I don't know. I lost track of time." Nikki answered.

"Wanna call it a day?

"Yeah, I think that's for the best." Nikki said.

"Alright, see you later." The voice said. "Before you go though, can I ask something?"

"I assume you can." Nikki answered, jokingly.

"Real funny." The voice said, playfully. "Just out of curiosity, what did you say what you're grateful for?"

"Grateful for?" Nikki asked, confused. "Why? Don't you only say that with family and at the dinner table?"

"No, I think you can say it no matter what." The voice answered.

"Well… I haven't really thought about it." Nikki said, shrugging.

"Well, just give it some thought, okay?"

"Sure." Nikki answered. "Night."

"Good night."

"…Hey Charles," Nikki said, as I was about to take off my headset.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"…Thanks." She said, before suddenly hanging up.

As she took off her headset and closed out of the program, the recluse scratched her head, wondering why Charles asked her that.

"Something to be grateful for?" Nikki asked herself. She sat on her bed, silently giving the inquiry some thought.

"…I guess if I had to say something, I'd have to say…"

 **Thanksgiving Day, Apartment- Nighttime**

I looked at my headset in confusion, wondering why Nikki thanked me that and then just hung up. Shrugging, I walked out of my room and downstairs to get something to drink. I looked as Kyu was busy eating her pizza, whilst watching some anime on T.V.

"Enjoying yourself?" I sarcastically asked.

"Meh," Kyu said, shrugging. "It is what it is."

"True." I said, pouring myself some soda. "So, how was your day?"

"Great, considering the fact that we didn't really have a real Thanksgiving dinner and had to make do." Kyu complained.

"I really wish you'd stop whining over that." I said, annoyed. "You should be grateful to have gotten anything at all. There are people out there who didn't have anything to eat at all today."

"Yeah, yeah." Kyu said, waving me off. I grunted in response.

"Did you at least say 'thanks' before eating that pizza?" I asked.

"Thanks?" Kyu repeated, looking at me, confused. "Thanks for what?"

"Its customary to give thanks before eating anything." I explained.

"Is that some sort of human concept?" Kyu asked.

"Yes." I answered. "Don't fairies have anyone they worship at all?"

"You mean like a deity or something?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Actually, we do." Kyu asked, smiling. "We all worship the mighty and powerful Love Goddess."

"Love Goddess?" I repeated.

"Yup, she and I are really good friends." Kyu explained. "Who knows? Play your cards right, and I might just introduce you two."

I blinked at her, wondering if she was being serious or if she was just messing with me. I shrugged in response.

"Sure." I said, walking back upstairs to my room. Stretching, I lied face up in my bed, staring at the ceiling.

"That reminds me," I said, speaking to myself. "Did I remember to say 'thanks' today?"

I scratched my head, trying to remember. Seeing as nothing popped out at me, I could only assume that I didn't.

"Well, better late than never…" I said. Crossing my hands together and closing my eyes, I cleared my throat.

"I have many things to be thankful for." I said, speaking outloud. "This year has had its ups and downs, but I'm glad for both. I've experienced a lot this year, and for that, I am thankful. But most of all, I am especially thankful for…"

"…for my parents, the ones who gave birth to me, and the ones who are taking care of me now."

"…for my siblings, annoying as they are, and for the dream that I have deep in my heart that no one can take away."

"…for the goals that I've set for myself that I will achieve through hard work."

"…for each day that I am allowed to wake up and experience new things."

"…for casinos, where I can make some easy money, and for the hope that I'll someday find something worth living for."

"…for good sex, and for my darling daughter, who I will always love and be proud of."

"…for designer clothes, hot guys and drugs to use whenever I'm bored."

"…for video games, the hope that things will get better… and for my friend(s)."

"…for my parents, my friends, for all of you, and especially **you**."

* * *

 **Well, that's the ending. As stated, I really enjoyed writing this. It was definitely a step-up from the last chapter. I'd like to thank all of the readers for taking the time out to read my story and for the reviewers for... well, reviewing. Until next time!**

 **P.S. Before any of you ask, yes, a Christmas chapter is in the making. Keep an eye out. Something may happen at the end that may surprise you.**


	10. Special Edition: Huniepop Christmas- 1

**Wow, it's been a while since I've updated, hasn't it? Last I checked, it was late November, correct? Well, I'd like to apologize for that. A lot of things have haven't between then and now. If you want to know why, you can read about it at the end of the chapter. Again, I apologize for the delay, but I hope the first part of this Christmas edition makes up for it. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Monday, Apartment- Afternoon**

"We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"

I frowned as I stood outside on the balcony of my apartment, silently listening and watching the Christmas carolers as they tried to brighten the mood of the apartment complex with some festive songs. Though why they bothered to sing outside my apartment was beyond me. They must have noticed my sullen expression as they continued singing, louder than before.

"We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christmas;

We wish you a Merry Christ and a Happy New Year!"

" _I wonder if throwing something at them amounts to the same as aggravated assault…"_ I thought, somewhat annoyed.

It was their fault I was in this mood to begin with. Up until 10 minutes ago, I was sleeping peacefully in my bed. The next thing I know, I hear a bunch of loud singing voices coming from my bedroom window. I could have just told them to go away, but that would have been rude, and if there's one thing I've learned since moving here, it's that people have a bad tendency to talk, and the last thing I needed was to be considered the 'unwelcome neighbor'.

I looked up at the sky as it was lightly snowing, so a bunch of the kids were busy playing in the snow, enjoying themselves. I would have smiled at them if my mood wasn't so dour. I heard the door to my room open, but I didn't bother turning around, since it could only be one person.

"Merry Christmas, champ!" Kyu yelled, happily. I did nothing more than sigh, as I laid my head down on my arms on the steel railings. I felt the cool wind hit my body even though I was wearing my standard winter wear: a dark blue hoodie and some sweatpants. I didn't have any boots, but that was fine, since my sneakers worked fine.

I took a quick glance at her and looked as my fairy friend had changed her appearance again. Was it because of the season, the changing of the weather or just because she wanted too? I didn't know. Regardless, she was wearing a pinkish and sky blue dress with matching arm-warmers. She had ditched her pink ballerina shoes and stockings for a fair of green, grassy sandals with a pink flower on both. Finally, her hair was still pink, but it looked very similar to how it looked when we had first met.

"Come on, champ." Kyu said, walking outside and standing beside me. "Where's your Christmas spirit?"

"Ask me later when I'm no longer being tormented by Christmas carolers." I answered, agitated. Kyu looked at me, and then looked down at the carolers who were still singing.

"What's wrong with them?" Kyu asked. I pointed at them as they began singing another song.

"Deck the halls with boughs of holly

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

'Tis the season to be jolly

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la

Don we now our gay apparel

Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la.

Troll the ancient Yule-tide carol

Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la"

I groaned and went back inside, shaking my head. I walked downstairs with Kyu following me, as I headed for the kitchen for some coffee.

"So, you're ticked just because a bunch of Christmas carolers ruined your beauty sleep?" She asked, cocking an eyebrow. I did nothing but groan again as I waited for my coffee to finish. "Wow, can anyone say 'Scrooge'?"

"I am not a 'Scrooge'." I said, frowning. "You'll find that I love Christmas just as much as the next guy, Kyu."

"Really?" Kyu questioned. "Because it seems to me you've been acting very surly these past few days."

"Have I?" I asked, taking my mug full of coffee and walking to the couch in the living room. I took a quick glance at the small, but noticeable Christmas tree that Kyu helped me set up weeks ago. I was thankful for her help, because this was the first time I actually bought a live tree before. When I was younger, my family always used an artificial one we kept in our attic. That tree was older than I am.

"If so, I don't mean to. It's just…" I said, as I took a sip of my coffee feeling my body warm up as the liquid went down my throat. "…I've never realized how much I miss a Christmas with my family, until I realized I'd be spending one alone here."

"Oh yeah," Kyu said, sitting down on the couch with me. "You aren't able to go home again, huh?"

"Nope." I said, sighing. I was a bit upset to be honest. This was the second time I was denied getting to see my family. I'll admit the first time was partially my fault. But this time, I refused to take any sort of blame. We recently had a sudden influx of snow appear, and as a result of the cold weather, the roads turned into ice. Thus, it was deemed "unsafe" to drive on the roads, as there had been too many accidents and there was no telling if another snow storm would hit.

"Did you tell your parents?" Kyu asked.

"Yeah," I answered, sighing. "Needless to say, they were upset as I was."

"Aww, sorry to hear that, champ." Kyu said a sincere tone in her voice. I smiled at her.

"Thanks. And its fine." I said, taking another sip from my mug of coffee. "I mailed their gifts yesterday, so they should receive them before Christmas, hopefully."

"That's good." Kyu smiled, before turning serious again. "Now back on topic, what's your deal with Christmas?"

"Kyu, as I explained to you, I don't have a _deal_ with Christmas." I explained, frowning.

"Then what is it?"

"Honestly, this is how I've always felt about Christmas." I said, upset.

"Like a Scrooge?" Kyu asked, making me frown again.

"For the last time, I am not a 'Scrooge'." I stated. "I love Christmas, I really do. I just don't love what it's turned has turned into, is all."

"What do you mean?" Kyu asked. I set my coffee on the coffee table in front of me, and grabbed the remote for the T.V.

"I mean," I began as I aimlessly flipped through the channels. "I just hate the fact that Christmas became a money-grab."

"A money-grab?" Kyu repeated.

"Yeah." I answered. As I was about to explain further, I looked as the T.V. stopped on the local news. It wouldn't have been my first choice, since I really hate listening and watching the news. Never once did it contain anything positive about the world. All of it was just negative, which had a really bad affect on my morale.

"And in our top story," The newswoman spoke. "It seems that another fight broke out at the local mall today, as Christmas shoppers are doing their utmost best to fulfill their child's Christmas list before supplies soon run out. This is only the third fight that has broken out this week, but many fear the ensuing violence will continue on in the week until the Christmas season has passed." I frowned as my point was being proven already.

"Furthermore, it seems the toy on every child and every parent's wish list this year seems to be the talking Emerald teddy bear doll." Kyu and I looked as a life-like teddy bear appeared on the screen.

"A teddy bear? Really?" I said, as I wondered what possible interest was there in a doll that could only spit out canned responses.

"I think it's cute." Kyu said, gushing at it.

"Really?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow at her. Kyu simply shrugged in response.

"Meh, I'm weird." She said. I simply rolled my eyes as I turned back to the T.V.

"The Garnet teddy bear seems to be so rare it seems that last minute shoppers will do anything to get their hands on one of these unique, animatronic characters." The newswoman continued. "Even robbery."

"See, a perfect example right there." I said, pointing at the T.V.

"What is?" Kyu asked. I looked at her, annoyed.

"Did you not just hear what she said on the news?" I asked. I then sighed, shaking my head as I finished off what was left of my coffee in my mug. "I never understood the fascination children have with dolls and toys and stuff. I mean, what's the point? In about two months, they'll probably be thrown in the back of their closet somewhere, forgotten for the next few months until their parents come and clean them out."

"Are you saying _you_ weren't like that?" Kyu asked a skeptical look on her face. I looked back at her, a serious look on my face.

"Kyu, my family wasn't as rich as we were before as we are now." I explained. "You have to remember, there were three of us: me, my younger brother and my older sister. My parents had to split money between all of us." I then held three fingers. "If chances were good, we would each get about three items that we really wanted." I then put my fingers down. "The rest of the stuff was just clothes or hand-me-downs from other children in her neighborhood. We had to make do with what we had and be grateful for what we got."

"Wow, that sucks. Sorry to hear that champ." Kyu said, looking apologetic.

"Don't be." I said, patting her on her shoulder. "Like I said, we were grateful for what we got. It's only because of our prayers that my parents managed to increase their income and we could start getting more stuff for Christmas. But we were so used to the idea of getting three items, that's all we ever got." I then looked back at the T.V. frowning as the newswoman continued talking. "Which is why it always pisses me off to hear about stuff like that on the news."

"You mean about the robberies and stuff?"

"Yeah, but it's not just that." I said, still frowning. "I never understood why people become so greedy around Christmas time. This is supposed to be the season for giving, not for being selfish. We've all forgotten that."

" _All_ people are naturally greedy, dude." Kyu reasoned.

"And I'm not saying we aren't." I argued. "I mean, we're only human. It's in our nature to be greedy and selfish. But its only around Christmas that the greed multiplies." I then slouched in my seat, depressed. "Back when I was young, Christmas was about being with family and friends, and enjoying the time you had together. After a few hours of the kids playing with their toys and stuff, everyone in the neighborhood would gather together at one of our houses and then we would all have a feast and give thanks for another year of being together." I then sighed as I waved at the T.V.

"Now, it's all about getting that _doll_ or that _toy_ of the moment." I sighed once more, sinking further on the couch, putting my hands on my chest, as I absentmindedly listened to the news.

"You know what?" Kyu said, standing up from the couch.

"Hmm?" I responded before being thrown something. My instincts kicked in and I caught whatever it was. I looked as it was camouflage wallet I bought last year after my old one fell apart.

"What are you doing?" I asked Kyu, confused. I looked up at her, surprised as she had a serious expression on her face.

"Get up, champ." Kyu ordered. "We're going out."

"Going out?" I repeated. "Going out where?"

"To the mall, I guess." Kyu said, shrugging. "I don't know. All I know is, you need to get out of this apartment!"

"Kyu, I am not going **anywhere** in this weather." I argued. "Even if it weren't snowing, I still wouldn't go because this is the week of Christmas."

"So?" Kyu said, shrugging.

" **So** , do you have any idea what the mall and stores are going to be like?" I asked. "Besides, you heard the woman on the news. I am not going to the store just to watch a bunch of people beat each other up over some dumb toys."

"Well, you can't stay here all day!" Kyu argued. "Your attitude is really grating my nerves. Besides, some fresh air would do you a world of good."

"I **can't** stay here?!" I yelled. "Remind me again, which of us pays the rent for this damn apartment?! Which of us has lived here on their own for the past few months before some perverted, know-it-all, make-believe **fairy tale** strode her way in here and started acting like she's in charge of every living thing in my whole life?!"

"What did you **just** call me?!" Kyu yelled back.

"Oh, so you're hard of hearing too?" I said, sarcastically.

"You know what? Screw you! Without me, you'd still be wasting your life away in that bar you're always in, drowning away your sorrows like you always do!"

"Screw me? **Screw you**! I never asked for your damn help in the first place, ya' sorry excuse for a prissy-ass bitch!"

"Fine then!" Kyu said, walking towards the door. "If you hate me so damn much, I'll just leave! Screw you and your stupid face!"

"Bye!" I yelled, just as she slammed the front door. I stomped upstairs to my room and slammed the door shut, causing everything on my walls to shake. Thankfully, nothing fell down as I was not in the mood to pick anything up. My fists were balled up, and I just felt the urge to hit something. Seeing as there was nothing punchable around, I did the only optimal thing and that was scream my lungs out. I fell onto my bed, breathing heavy. I put a pillow over my face, and just lied there, upset.

" _Damnit…"_ I thought. I felt my heart beating, as the weight of guilt dropped onto my shoulders. I groaned and turned around in my bed. Before I knew it, my eyelids grew heavy and I fell asleep.

 **Monday, Adult Film Studio- Afternoon**

"Ooo, yeah, very sexy!" An enthusiastic camerawoman said, as she was taking explicit pictures of the most popular woman in the entire studio. The woman, in question, was currently wearing a red and white plaid mini skirt and an unbuttoned white Y-shirt, all-in-all giving her the appearance of a naughty schoolgirl. Her hair, which was normally short and only went down to her shoulders, was now tied into two large ponytails fastened with a pair of red bands.

Though the actress was trying to look motivated, she just couldn't build up any resolve to look interested in what she was doing. Luckily, the camerawoman noticed and stopped.

"Hold on," She said. "Let's stop for a second."

"Huh?" The actress said, stopping off the stage to the woman. "What's wrong?"

"That's my line, love." The camerawoman said, a lopsided grin on her face. "Normally, you'd be very eager when it comes to photo shoots. But I can tell from here you're not happy about at all. What's wrong?"

"Well…" The actress said, looking at her friend, before looking down at herself. "I don't know, Janice. Do you really think I can still pull off the whole sexy schoolgirl look?"

"Of course you can, Jessie!" The camerawoman known as Janice agreed, smiling at her friend. "With your looks and that body, you could make anything look good."

"Of course, babe." Jessie said, smiling before looking down at herself again. "It's just… I dropped out of high school when I was a teen. Those people will take one look at me, and think I've just a woman whose been held back a lot."

"Nonsense!" Janice said, waving off her friend's worries. "The men of this world are all simple, love. They all want the same thing. If they can't get it, they'll compensate. After all, men are nothing, if not resourceful." At this, Jessie had to laugh.

"Right. Are you sure you're not giving me advice because you want me to become a full-fledged lesbian?" Jessie asked.

"You'd be a pro at it!" Janice said, smiling. "Just imagine if you were into women and women only. All the males on this planet would get sex changes just to lie with you!" Again, Jessie laughed at her friend. She enjoyed these little talks with her friend. From the time she first entered the adult entertainment business, Janice had been her one true friend to support her. Yeah, she Lola, Aiko and Beli, but none of them knew anything about the porn industry.

She took a look at her friend, with messy Mohawk that extended into a short ponytail that went to the bottom of her neck. She had several piercings: one on her right eyebrow, one on her left nostril, another on bottom lip and the rest were all in a circular motion on her right ear. She was wearing a green and white plaid shirt with a pair of blue long shorts. She had a pair of beautiful blue eyes that were hidden behind a pair of rectangular reading glasses. Needless to say, she was flawless.

"Thanks babe. I needed the laugh." Jessie said, still giggling at her friend's joke.

"Anytime." Janice said, holding her camera. "Ready to get back to it?"

"Of course." Jessie answered, posing for another shot as the flash from the camera went off.

 **10 minutes later…**

"Alright, that's a wrap!" Janice said, taking one final shot with her camera. "Great work today, hun."

"You think so?" Jessie asked, stepping off the stage. "I'm not so sure. I just couldn't get into it like my other shoots."

"Don't sweat the small stuff, babe!" Janice said, once again waving off her friend's concerns. She walked over to her laptop, which was sitting on a desk nearby. After plugging her camera into it, she began uploading the pictures on her computer. While she was doing that, Jessie headed into the building's locker room and began changing back into her regular outfit. Of course, she could have changed in public. After all, public nudity was nothing to frown upon. This was a porn business, after all. But after a long day of photo shoots and videos, the seasoned adult actress needed a moment to herself.

After several minutes, she walked back out just as her friend was finishing up.

She then reached into her pocket and pulled out a stack of bills and handed it to her friend.

"Your reward, Madame." Janice said, faking a French accent. Jessie took the money and looked at in confusion.

"This is why more than I usually get paid, Jan." Jessie said, calling her friend by her nickname.

"The client was extra generous. Just consider it a holiday bonus."

"Wow." The porn star said, surprised. "Thanks a lot, Jan."

"Don't mention it, love. Have a good holiday. See you after New Year's!"

Jessie waved 'goodbye' to her friend and headed out to the company parking lot, where her convertible was waiting. She smiled as hit the button on her alarm, unlocking it.

" _It pays to be a star…"_ she thought, slipping into the driver's seat. She started up her car, turned on her radio, and drove off the parking lot, heading home. She slipped on a pair of sunglasses, even though the sun wasn't out. She felt that whenever she was driving, having a pair of sunglasses on was needed, unless it was too dark for them, of course. She felt they completed the mood she was in whenever she was driving. Besides, all the hot models wore glasses in the movies. She was just following the stereotype…

 **Monday, Maye Household, Afternoon**

After a 20-minute drive, the adult actress finally arrived at her place of residence. It was a large two-story house that was situated in the center of a large gated community. Like most communities of these kind, the houses here were very expensive, and mainly only the rich and powerful could afford them. Jessie was far from being powerful or rich, but when you are a famous porn star, you tend to be granted with a few… perks.

Pulling into her driveway, the adult actress got out of her car, and took a breathe of fresh air, as she slowly breath in the cold, winter air that was slowly breezing through the neighborhood. She took a look at her large house, and a sad smile formed on her face. Though this place was her home, she always dreaded to come back to it, since there was no one waiting for her when she returned from a hard day's work.

Unlocking the front door to her house, she walked inside, stopping in the corridor, looking around. Though there was stuff in each room, the adult actress couldn't help but feel that this place was as empty as it was when she and her daughter first move into it.

" _I wonder if this how all parents fill when their child leaves the nest…"_ Jessie thought as she walked upstairs, heading to her room. _"Too bad mine left with the full intention of never coming back."_

As she was walking to her room, the adult actress stopped in front of a certain door. The door which led to the room that formerly belonged to her daughter, Tiffany. She had been in there many times before, but it didn't make entering and leaving any less difficult. Opening the door, her heart ached as she looked inside. The room was colored pink, after her daughter's favorite color. It was practically empty except for the few things that her daughter didn't take with her when she left: her dresser that she kept all her clothes in, a writing desk which she used to do her homework or write in her dairy/journal, the T.V. that sat atop the old counter, and obviously her mattress.

Looking around for a minute or two, Jessie closed the door to her child's room and proceeded to her bedroom. Stripping off her clothes, she headed to the bathroom, which was adjacent to her bedroom. Turning the shower knob on 'warm', she stepped in and slowly washed herself off, trying to get rid of the aching feeling that was still throbbing in her chest.

" _Stupid guilt."_ She thought, as she roughly rubbed her chest and torso, as if she hoped to somehow scrub the feeling away. It did nothing more than cause her pain, as a slight bruise formed above her right breast. Sighing, the adult actress just let the water hit her for the rest of the shower until she stepped out about 20 minutes later. She silently dried herself off and donned a white bathrobe. As she dried her hair, she turned to the calendar that was off a ways nailed to the wall where the switch to her room's lights were. It looked relatively normal, but on the 22nd, big black handwriting was shown saying, 'MOST IMPORTANT DATE EVER'.

She walked up to the calendar and just stared at it, particularly at what she had written. The 22nd was an important date, at least to her. Because it was on that date that she was blessed with the most precious gift of all, her daughter, Tiffany.

" _I wonder if she'll even see me…"_ The mother thought. As she thought on these things, the feeling in her chest grew more, making her groan. She briskly turned around and walked to a mini fridge hidden in the corner of her room. Opening it, she took out a cool bottle of wine that she had stocked for emergences. She normally didn't go for wine, since she considered it too weak, but something was better than nothing.

"Anything to get rid of this stupid feeling in my chest." She said outloud, twisting the cap and opening the bottle. Normally, Jessie wouldn't be the type to drink by herself, since she found it lonely and bothersome, but seeing as her friends were either out of town or busy, she had little choice. She poured herself a bottle of white wine in her cool glass that she kept in her fridge. She slowly sampled it, letting the flavors explore every crevice of her mouth. She nodded, pleased. She then quickly drunk the rest, and set the glass atop her fridge.

Sighing, the adult actress then rubbed her eyelids as she slowly walked to her queen-size bed, and lied on it, staring at the ceiling for a few minutes before she felt her eyelids getting heavy. Blinking once or twice, Jessie soon yawned as sleep overtook her, making her fast fall asleep.

 **Monday, Shopping Mall- Afternoon**

" _Stupid Charles!"_ Kyu thought, as she angrily walked up to the one of the many mall entrances throughout the large building. After her fight with Charles, the love fairy quickly left the complex, not really paying any attention to where she was going. She just began walking and continued to walk until she found herself at the mall, not that she cared, as she was too upset to be happy or excited. Those who spotted the expression on her face wisely decided to give her a wide berth.

"Can't believe that idiot said that to me." the love fairy said, speaking to herself. "All I was trying to do was help **him** and he just blows up at me! Well screw him! If he thinks his life was better without me in it, then fine! See if I ever help him again! Stupid, ungrateful, little…"

"Kyu?" Someone called out to the love fairy, surprising her. She quickly turned around and looked as a certain cheerleader was staring at her with a strange expression on her face.

"Tiffany?" Kyu said, calling out her friend's name. She took notice of the cheerleader who was wearing a badge fur coat with a red scarf tied around her neck with a black pair of snow boots.

"Hey," Tiffany said, raising her left hand, though she was still staring at her friend, strangely. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned. "You were standing there mumbling to yourself."

"I was?" Kyu asked. She had been entirely unaware she was mumbling due to how upset she was. It was only when Tiffany brought her back to reality that she realized what she doing. She looked around, startled at her new surroundings. Last she had checked, she was outside, walking. And walking.

"Where are we?" Kyu asked, making Tiffany cock an eyebrow in confusion.

"We're… at the mall?" Tiffany answered, still confused.

"The mall?" Kyu repeated, looking around again. "Oh, we are!" She exclaimed, causing several people to look over, wondering what the strange girl was doing.

"Yeaahhh…" Tiffany said, before looking at her friend again, a worried look on her face. "Seriously Kyu, are you alright?" She asked concerned. "You looked pretty zoned out, and you had an angry expression on your face, too."

"Oh, did I?" Kyu asked, though she knew the answer. The love fairy rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry about that. I was pretty upset about something."

"Yeah, I could tell. What's up? Is Charles with you?" At the mention of her client's name, Kyu bristled, goosebumps covering her skin as she tried to relax and calm herself before she went on another tangent like before.

"No, he's not." Kyu answered, still upset. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention his name in my presence right now."

"Huh? Why" Tiffany asked, now doubly concerned. "Did something happen? Did he do something to you?"

"We just got into a stupid argument." Kyu answered. "I _don't_ want to talk about it right now." She hoped her friend with get the message and leave the topic alone, as she was still not in the mood to talk, much less, think about a certain individual right now.

"Oh, okay…" Tiffany said, speaking up on the subtle hint. "Sorry."

"Forget it." Kyu said waving off her apology as she, once again, calmed herself down. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, I was just doing some shopping before tonight." Tiffany answered.

"What's tonight?"

"I'm having a sleepover at my house. Girls only." Tiffany explained. "It's sort of a pre-celebration before my birthday tomorrow."

"Your birthday is tomorrow?" Kyu asked, surprised. "Wow, how old will you be?"

"21 years!" Tiffany answered, excited. "Officially an adult in society's eyes."

"Cool! I didn't know you were 20. You kinda look a bit younger, to be honest.

"You're sadly not the first person to tell me this." Tiffany said, rolling her eyes. "Do you know how irritating it is whenever the bouncer at the club doesn't believe me, and I have to show my I.D.? But I'm not lying. I actually will be 21 tomorrow."

"Hey, like I said, it's cool." Kyu said, smiling. "What time will you be hosting the party?"

"Actually, I plan on having the party on Christmas Eve. Tomorrow will just be a little quality time for me and my parents."

"A party on Christmas Eve?" Kyu questioned. "You sure that's smart? People will be a bit too busy preparing for Christmas that following morning.

"It's not going to be a regular party," Tiffany explained. "I'm planning on having both a birthday and a Christmas party all in one. That way, I'm not the only one receiving gifts."

"Wow, that's cool." Kyu complimented. "I guess that means I should start looking for a present for you."

"Yeah, but not right now. It'd spoil the surprise!" Tiffany said, as both girls laughed whilst continuing their browsing through the mall. After about an hour of wondering around, the two stopped in the mall's food court for lunch.

"Hey, I was wondering," Tiffany said as she bit into one of her French fries, "Do you think you could come to my sleepover tonight?"

"Huh?" Kyu said, looking at her as her mouth was full of a cheeseburger she had just bitten into.

"Well, it's just going to be me, Audrey and Nikki there, and… quite frankly, the two of them don't really make for pleasant company." Tiffany admitted.

"What do you mean?" Kyu asked.

"Well, all Audrey will do is talk about boys, nails and whatever else is going on with her at the moment." Tiffany explained. "And Nikki… well, you've met her. She hates anything to do with parties or get-togethers, and the only reason she's coming is probably cause Audrey is making her."

"What about Kyanna?"

"I asked her, but she said that she may not be able to make it since she'll be working late at the hair salon."

"Oh."

"Yeah, so can you come? Please?" Tiffany begged.

"Uhh… sure." Kyu agreed.

"Really? Great!" Tiffany said, hugging her friend. "Thanks, Kyu!"

"No problem." Kyu smiled, before realizing something. "But I don't exactly have a sleeping bag, and I'd rather not go back home to get one."

"That's fine, we have some cushions at our house you can use."

"Cool, thanks." Kyu said.

"No problem." With that, the two girls continued their lunch and resumed their shopping, afterwards, until they were both ready to depart.

 **Monday, Downtown Area, Afternoon**

"Don't you just find the Christmas season wonderful, Aiko?" A certain yoga instructor asked, as she smiled at all of the decorations that were hung up all over the city. Though it wasn't dark out and the Christmas lights weren't lit, Beli could just imagine what they would all look like once the night sky covered everything.

"Yeah, whatever you say, Beli." Aiko answered, not really caring. Beli looked at her friend, who was dressed in a pair of jeans with red sweater and a green winter coat with a pair of black snow boots. Beli, herself, was wearing a brown buttoned-up coat with some khaki pants and a pair of brown snow boots. The two of them were currently walking around the downtown area, browsing the displays in the window. Well, more so, Beli was doing the browsing while Aiko was just along for the ride, not really caring what the two of them were doing.

"Aiko, why is it you seem to get like this every time Christmas comes around?" Beli asked, frowning.

"I don't know what you mean." Aiko said, frowning as her hands were in her coat pockets. She then sighed, as she turned her face away, staring at the people walking to and fro through the streets.

"You know what I mean." Beli argued, pointing at her friend's face. "That, right there. You always seem to get more frustrated and more depressed every December. Why is that?"

"I don't know." Aiko said, sighing. "I guess I'm just feeling… not so young anymore."

"Not young anymore?" Beli repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know… old." Aiko explained, struggling to say the word as if was poison on her tongue. Beli's eyes grew wide for a bit before lowering once more.

"Since when do you care about your age?" Beli asked. From what she observed about Aiko ever since meeting her, she never really cared about the less important things that women seemed to worry about. Stuff like fashion, beauty and age didn't seem to bother her at all, so it was a bit surprising to hear Aiko worrying about them now.

"Since I turned 29 last month." Aiko said, stopping as she leaned on the wall of a building the two were walking past. "Only one more year, and I'll be out of the 20's and officially be in my 30's."

"And?" Beli said, trying to understand where exactly this was going. "What's wrong with being 30? Jessie is 36 and she'll be 37, next month."

"Jessie is one of the few women who were fortunate enough to be blessed with good looks no matter how old she gets." Aiko explained "Do you really think a normal 36-year-old would look like that at her age?" Not knowing how to respond, Beli simply shrugged.

"So, this is all you worried about not looking pretty anymore?" Beli asked, standing beside her friend, so as not to get in anyone's way.

"Basically yeah, but its more than that." Aiko explained, sighing as a slight wind blew through the streets. "I guess I'm just worried about what exactly I want to do with my life."

"What do you mean?" Beli asked, rubbing her hands together as she had forgotten to wear a pair of gloves. "You don't care for your teaching career?"

"Please tell me that wasn't a serious question." Aiko said, annoyed.

"Right, sorry." Beli said, apologizing, making Aiko roll her eyes.

"No, I don't care for my teaching career. I went to university for six years to get a degree, and what am I doing with it? Teaching college students."

"Is there something wrong with that?" Beli asked. "You're helping to shape the minds of young people everywhere."

"Yes, but it's not something I want to spend my whole life doing." Aiko explained. "I've got ambitions of my own, ya' know. I don't know what they are, but I have them."

"So, you're worried that you may not be able to fulfill your life's goals?" Beli asked, worried. The expression on her face only made Aiko more depressed as she sighed.

"You want to know why I dislike December so f'ing much?" Aiko asked, trying not to curse since she knew Beli disliked it. "Because December is that start of winter, and when winter comes, everything goes dormant. Nothing grows in winter. Everything is lifeless, dead, empty. It's a reminder that everything comes to an end eventually."

Beli silently listened and looked at her friend, surprised. This was the perhaps the first time that she had ever heard or seen Aiko look so serious and forlorn.

"I'm sorry." Aiko said, without looking at her friend. "I didn't mean to ruin the mood."

"It's… fine, Aiko." Beli assured. "I really wish I could help, but I'm afraid I don't know you as well as I should."

"It's fine, Beli." Aiko said, smiling a sad smile. "This is something I've struggled with for years now. Its not like the answer is just going to come to me."

"Well… have you considered doing something you're naturally good at?" Beli asked, smiling.

"Like what?" Aiko asked, confused. "The only thing I'm good at is gambling, and I don't even do that very well."

"No, I mean like, a hobby or something you like to do a lot. What about artwork? I've seen you draw from time-to-time."

"That's just something I do when I have time to kill." Aiko informed. "It's not something I'm particularly good at."

"Well, all the more reason to work for it, isn't it?" Beli assured. She then laid a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Like you said, you're life's goal isn't going to come to you like that. But that's all the more reason to try new things and find out what it is you're good at and what you like. As a famous person once asked, 'Would you rather be loved for doing something you hate doing? Or would you rather be hated for doing you loved?'"

Aiko looked at her friend, a bit surprised by the enthusiasm she was showing.

"You really have that much faith in me?" Aiko asked.

"I do." Beli said, her hand still on Aiko's shoulder. "You're a good person, Aiko. I know that and I can see it, even if you can't." Aiko stood there, blinking, before grinning at her friend.

"…Thanks Beli." Aiko said.

"You're welcome." Beli responded. As the two smiled at one another, the wind blew a big harder, bringing them both back to reality. At this, Aiko scowled looking at the sky.

"I really do hate winter." She said, frowning, before looking back at her yoga instructor. "Wanna go grab some lunch?"

"Yes, please." Beli accepted.

"Fine, but no junk food." Aiko added.

"What?!" Beli yelled out.

"I hated fried foods, and besides that, you're supposed to be dieting." Aiko said, walking away.

"You guys are never going to let me live that down, are you?" Beli complained.

"Not any time soon!"

 **Monday, Maye Household, Evening**

"Wow Tiffany," Kyu said as she and the cute cheerleader walked into her bedroom. "Your room is nice."

The love fairy looked around as she quietly observed her friend's personal area. Her room generally looked a typical girl's room. Though it wasn't fairly big, it was the largest out of all of the rooms on the second story. The wall was painted pink and was filled with posters of boy bands, movies or pictures of Tiffany, herself, during many cheerleading events. She had a light blue circular carpet at the foot of her queen-sized bed that had a wooden stand at the head of her bed. On the right side of her room, she had a large brown dresser which housed her socks, underwear and bras. On the top of her dresser were several pictures, one of which was of her and her grandparents. Next to her dresser, were several chairs for guests to seat and a bookshelf where she kept her books and magazines.

On the left side of her room, a large brown sofa was placed in the center, while a brown wooden desk was in the upper corner of her room where her computer laid. A gray office chair was shown in front of it. Finally, in the back of her room, a large TV was shown in the center of the wall where she had a perfect view of it from her bed.

"Thanks." Tiffany said. "I personally didn't think any room in this house would fit all my stuff after I moved out."

"Moved out?" Kyu repeated. "Moved out from where?"

"Huh?!" Tiffany exclaimed, before waving it off. "Oh, uhh… its nothing. Forget I said anything."

"Okaaay…" Kyu said, looking at her friend, strangely before she decided to take a seat on her friend's sofa. "So… what do we do now?"

"Well, Audrey and Nikki should be here soon. I'm not sure about Kyanna, but I don't think she'll make it."

"Oh." Kyu said. For a while, the two sat in silence, not really knowing what to talk about. Tiffany, likewise, was in the same boat. She was a social butterfly, but she often had trouble breaking the ice with people she wasn't really familiar with. All she knew about this girl was that she was Charles's cousin.

"So, uhh… out of curiosity, how long have you lived here?" Tiffany asked, trying to make conversation.

"Huh?" Kyu responded. She racked her brain, trying to come up with something was a lie, but still believable enough. "Oh, uhh… I think I've been here for about three months, maybe?" She answered, trying to make it sound believable.

" _Well, its partly the truth! I did meet Charles three months ago."_ Kyu thought, arguing with herself for some reason.

"His mom asked me to come check on him, since it's the first time he's been away from home. I was looking for a reason to leave home, so I agreed."

"Leave home?" Tiffany repeated. "Why?"

"Uhh… just stupid parent crap." Kyu answered, shrugging. "My mom didn't agree with some of my choices, and I was getting tired of her hounding me, so I decided to leave."

"You too?" Tiffany asked, sympathetically. "I can relate."

"What do you mean?" Kyu asked, confused. "I've met your grandparents. They seem nice."

"Yes, but they're my **grand** parents." Tiffany explained, emphasizing the 'grand' in grandparents.

"Okay, what about your real parents?"

"…Let's just say, you're not the only with mom issues, and leave it at that." Tiffany said, not walking to talk about it.

Kyu blinked, not really knowing what to say or think. She, herself, was obviously lying since she and her mom got along great, but she didn't actually think Tiffany would have problems with her parents. Again, an awkward silence took place as the two knew not what to say. Fortunately, the silence was broken by someone bursting through the door.

"What up, bitches?!" Someone yelled out, shocking both girls in the room. Tiffany looked upset as a familiar redhead walked into the room, followed by a quiet recluse who was frowning at her friend's display.

"What the hell, Audrey?!" Tiffany yelled.

"What?" Audrey shrugged, as if she did nothing wrong. She was wearing a red midriff with black lines going diagonally on it and a pair of short shorts. She also had a pair of white socks and a pair of brown sandals.

"Don't 'what' me!" Tiffany argued, upset. She then pointed at her door. "I've told you numerous times to stop doing that! That is not how a normal person enters a room!"

"Newsflash for you Tiffany: I'm not _normal_." Audrey said, pointing at herself.

"If that isn't the truth…" Nikki whispered. The girl must have decided to just wear her PJ's on the way here, as she was currently wearing a pair of pink pajamas with fox slippers.

"Whatever!" Tiffany yelled. "The point is, you have to stop doing that. You're going to give someone a heart attack one of these days!"

"Yeah, yeah. Calm the fuck down before you actually _do_ have a heart attack." Audrey waving her off, which only helped to upset Tiffany more.

"And quit talking like that! My grandparents are just downstairs. They don't need to hear the fowl language you use on a daily basis."

"Alright already! Would you relax?" Audrey said, getting upset. "Seesh, you turn 21, and suddenly you act the like whole world revolves you or something."

"Audrey…" Tiffany growled.

"Is everything alright girls?" A sweet voice called from downstairs. "I heard yelling."

"We're fine, Grandma! Thanks!" Tiffany called back. The young cheerleader sighed as she heard her grandmother walk away, before walking back in the room. Throughout the whole engagement, Kyu silently sat on the sofa, watching with piqued interest. It wasn't until it was over that Audrey finally noticed her. Nikki, who was used to these little engagements between the two girls, silently sat on one of the chairs in the room, playing with her phone.

"Hey, who are you?" Audrey asked, frowning.

"I'm…" Kyu began, before being interrupted.

"That's Kyu, remember?" Tiffany answered. "You met her on Halloween? She's Charles's cousin."

"Cousin?" Audrey repeated. She took a good look at Kyu, staring at her.

"Take a picture, hun." Kyu said, smirking. "It'll last longer."

"Whatever." Audrey said, waving her off. "Anyway, it's time to get this party started!" She then slammed something on the counter, surprising everyone. They all looked as it was an 18-pack case of beer.

"Where did you get these?!" Tiffany asked, shocked.

"I picked some up at market before we came." Audrey answered. "What's the big deal? You'll be 21 tomorrow, anyway. Legally old enough to drink."

"Yes, but for tonight, I'm still underage!" Tiffany argued. "Besides, you're the only one here old enough to drink. Nikki's still 18, and Kyu…" Tiffany then stopped as she didn't exactly know how hold her new friend was.

"I'm, uh, 20 too." Kyu said, lying. Truthfully, she was far older than any of them. In fairy years, she was in her late 300's. Though that may seem old by human standards, truthfully, she was about the same age as a human teenager.

"Really?" Tiffany asked, surprised. "Wow, you look far younger than that."

Kyu said nothing as she stared at her friend with an 'Are you serious?' look. Tiffany looked back at her, confused. It was only then realization dawned on her as she was reminded of a similar conversation that the two of them had earlier in the mall. Suddenly, a small smile appeared on both of their faces. Before they knew it, the two of them started giggling before bursting out laughing, surprising Audrey. Nikki looked at the two of them for a brief moment before going back to her phone.

"Okay, what the hell is so funny?" Audrey asked, upset at being kept out of the loop.

"Sorry Audrey," Tiffany said, still giggling. "That's a trade secret." Audrey looked ready to argue, but instead, she simply waved the two of them off, not caring.

"Whatever." She said, opening the pack of beer and pulling one out. "Now, let's get this party started!"

 **About two hours later…**

After drinking a couple of beers, the girls' mood soon started to lighten as all of the girls' inhibitions were lowered, due to the alcohol's influence. Even Nikki, who was not a party girl in the least, was even attempting to communicate. Their activities ranged from: watching a few girly dramas on the television, gossiping about boys or what was going on in their lives, and playing a short, but silly game of "Truth or Dare?".

"Ha! Your turn, Nikki." Audrey said, as the bottle she had spun landed on Nikki, who was biting into a slice of pizza that the girls had ordered. "Truth or Dare?"

"Dare, I guess." Nikki said, shrugging.

"Okay, I dare you to reveal something about yourself that you wouldn't tell anyone ever." Audrey said, smiling successfully. She knew Nikki was a closed individual who rarely ever told anyone anything about herself since she didn't really trust people very much. Nikki's eyes rose for a second, before lowering again.

"In the dead of night, I like to watch and fantasize about yaoi." Nikki said, shrugging.

"Seriously?!" Kyu shouted, surprised.

"Yeah." Nikki said, biting into her pizza again. To be honest, Kyu wasn't really all that surprised. If Nikki was as closeted as she seemed, then getting off on porn wasn't that big of a shocker.

"What the hell is yaoi?" Audrey asked, confused, along with Tiffany.

"It's a term in anime for gay porn, usually with boys." Kyu explained. She smiled as she expected both girls' reaction. And fortunately, she was not disappointed.

"Eww!" Both Tiffany and Audrey exclaimed. Kyu burst out laughing while Nikki simply shrugged, finishing off her pizza.

"You are so disgusting!" Audrey said, looking at her friend.

"You wanted to know a deep, dark secret of mine? There you go." Nikki said, not really caring. "Besides, you say that as if any of you don't watch porn either."

"Oh, I'm not denying it." Kyu said, proudly. "I'll happily admit that I'm a pervert. I get off on many different types of porn. I especially like the magazines Charles keeps under his bed."

"Charles reads porn magazines?" Nikki asked.

"Yup! He may goes for the swimsuit models the best." Kyu said.

"How did the hell did we get on this topic?!" Audrey yelled, frustrated, though a slight red could be seen on her face.

"I agree." Tiffany said, blushing as well. "Let's move on, okay?" She swiftly spun the bottle on the floor, whilst trying to calm herself down. The bottle soon slowed until it eventually stopped on Kyu. "Truth or dare?"

"Hmm… truth." Kyu said, smiling.

"Hmm," Tiffany said, trying to think of a good question that would be hard for Kyu to answer. Of course, giving how "open" she had discovered Kyu was, that was going to be difficult. She could have asked something perverted, but Kyu probably could have answered that easily, as well. Plus, it would have done nothing but embarrass herself.

"Okay, what type of boy do you normally go for?" Tiffany asked, figuring it was the safest option.

"Hmm…" Kyu said, as she thought about her answer putting her right index finger on her chin. "…Well, I'm partial to playboys, really. Guys who can attract or pick up a number of girls effortlessly turn me on." Both Audrey and Tiffany stared at the love fairy with wide eyes, while Nikki was looking at her, surprised.

"You… actually go for guys like that?" Tiffany asked.

"Sure, why not?" Kyu said, not finding anything wrong with it. "Charles, himself, is starting to become one." At this, all three girls looked at Kyu, shocked.

"…What?" Nikki said, as if not hearing her.

"Charles is a bit of a playboy, himself. He's talked to a lot of women, these past few months. Some of them are slightly older than he is." Kyu explained. The girls continued staring at her, not knowing what to say or think.

"…Are you… serious, Kyu?" Tiffany asked, shocked.

"I wouldn't lie about something like this. It's the truth." Kyu said, a serious expression on her face. "I mean, he obviously knows you three, as well as Kyanna and Beli. But he does know three other women who are older than he is." The girls continued staring, trying to process this new information. An awkward silence soon took place in the bedroom. Luckily, a knock on the door helped to get rid of it.

"Sorry to disturb you girls," Tiffany's grandmother said, as she popped inside. "But there are some fresh-baked cookies downstairs if you want any."

"Cookies!" Kyu yelled, as she immediately sat up from the sofa, heading for the door. "I'll bring some up for you guys!"

With that, the love fairy left, leaving the three friends alone in the room. Three silently sat where they were seated, still trying to make heads or tails of Kyu's information.

"Wow…" Audrey said, surprised, though not as much as Nikki or Tiffany. "Maybe that geek isn't as lame as I thought. I'd never have thought someone like him could actually be seeing different women at the same time."

"It's a lie…" Nikki said, not willing to believe it. "…Charles… Charles isn't like that…"

"And how exactly would you know?" Audrey asked, rolling her eyes. "You don't even like talking to people. How would you know what a person is really like or not?"

"Because I just do!" Nikki yelled, upset.

"Oh, get real. You're just upset to find out the boy you like isn't who you think he is."

"I never said I _liked_ him. He's a friend, nothing else."

"You should stop denying it. You're not fooling anyone." Audrey said, a smirk on her face.

"Shut up!" Nikki yelled, upset. The recluse tired of arguing, pulled at her phone and started playing some app game on it.

"Whatever." Audrey said, waving off her friend. She then looked over at Tiffany, who was quiet throughout the entire exchange. "What do _you_ think, Tiffany?"

"I-I t-think…" Tiffany began. "…I think I want to talk about something else." With that, the cheerleader quickly grabbed a slice of pizza and her can of beer, eating and drinking both. Audrey shrugged and pulled out a nail filer as she silently trimmed her nails.

"I'm back!" Kyu yelled, entering the bedroom with a plate of cookies. "Gotta say Tiffany, you're grandmother makes same damn good cookies."

"…Thanks." Tiffany said, her voice barely above a whisper. With this, the sleepover continued, though it was safe to say that the mood had quickly deteriorated, not that Kyu had noticed.

 **Several hours later…**

After the excitement had died down, the girls soon crawled into their sleeping bags. Tiffany took her large bed, whilst Nikki and Kyu slept on opposite sides of it. Audrey argued that she wanted the couch and the girls eventually relented and let them have. It was nearing 2:00 A.M., and the girls were all fast asleep. Well, three of them were, but a certain love fairy had trouble entering Dreamland, her mind still filled with thoughts.

" _It's been a whole 12 hours since I've seen Charles," she thought. "I wonder how champ's doing since our fight."_ Kyu turned on her back, staring up at the ceiling. _"I wonder, did he really mean what he said…?"_

 ***flashback***

" _Screw me?_ _ **Screw you**_ _! I never asked for your damn help in the first place!"_

 ***end flashback***

Kyu blinked, her large green eyes staring back at the ceiling.

" _Champ certainly has changed."_ She thought. _"Before, he never would have had the gall to yell at anyone like that. …Or maybe he would have. I don't know. I've only known Champ for a while, but he always was a defensive person, to say the least."_

Kyu sighed as she turned around on her side. _"Maybe I should apologize tomorrow. I wonder if he's worried sick that I actually disappeared."_ At this, the love fairy slightly chuckled. _"It would give me something to laugh about, at least."  
_

"Hey Kyu?" Someone called out, surprising the love fairy.

"Huh?" Kyu said, turning over to face the bed. She looked as Tiffany was looking down on her. "Sorry Tiff. Did I wake you?" Kyu asked, calling Tiffany by her strange nickname.

"No," Tiffany answered. "I was already awake. It's kinda hard to sleep when you have to put up with Audrey's snoring." She said, pointing to the redhead who was releasing loud noises from her mouth as she slept.

"Oh, that's Audrey?" Kyu asked, sarcastically. "I honestly thought it was a truck or something."

"Don't let Audrey hear you say that." Tiffany warned, laughing. She stopped after several seconds, getting her breathe back. She then looked down at Kyu with a serious expression on her face. "Hey, listen, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"You want to know whether or not what I said about Charles earlier is true." Kyu said, voicing her friend's exact thoughts.

"Well… yeah." Tiffany answered. "I mean, I can't claim to know Charles well. The two of us have only known each other for a short time, while you've known him for practically your whole life." Tiffany said, trying to find the right words so she didn't sound offensive. "But, for the short time I've known Charles, he didn't exactly strike me as a 'playboy'. So…"

"You want to know if I was lying or not?" Kyu asked.

"No!" Tiffany said, loudly, covering her mouth, as Audrey started to move around, groaning. She then whispered, controlling the volume of her voice. "No, I'm not calling you a liar. I just… I mean, you did say earlier today you got into an argument with Charles, so I figured this was just your way of getting back at him." At this, Kyu couldn't help but laugh.

"Tiff, trust me, if I wanted to get back at Charles just because he hurt my feelings, I could think of better ways to do it than by spreading rumors about him." Kyu explained. She then sat up, leaning against the wall, underneath one of the windows in her friend's room.

"I'll say this: Charles is a "playboy", but not how you're thinking it." Kyu said. She smiled at the look of confusion on the cheerleader's face. "What I mean is, he's been talking to a lot of girls, but he's not sleeping with them, if that's what you're wondering. As far as I know, the guy is still a virgin."

"What?!" Tiffany shouted, raising her voice again. Audrey groaned once more, turning around in her sleep. The head cheerleader mentally hit herself as she was starting to let her emotions get the better of her.

"Yes, Charles hasn't done _it_ yet, so you don't have to worry about it." Kyu said, smirking.

"W-why would I-I w-worry about I-it?" Tiffany said, stammering as she was blushing.

"Oh please," Kyu said, waving off Tiffany's defenses. "You can fool your friends, but you can't fool me. At the Halloween party, I noticed you eyeing him as he danced with Kyanna. You like him, don't you?"

"What?!" Tiffany shouted, though did so quietly this time. "How could I like him? I've only known him for several months now!"

"Long enough to develop feelings for someone." Kyu said, winking. "But hey, I'm not mad or anything. If you like him, go for it! It'll be good for you, as well as him."

"What do you mean?" Tiffany asked. Kyu sighed, and scratched the back of her head.

"You may find this hard to believe, or not, but Charles isn't exactly the best when it comes to the opposite sex." Kyu explained. "He's never really had much luck with girls before. He's been alone almost his entire life. He wasn't really popular in school, and he often was made fun of. He never told his parents, cause he didn't want to bother them, and his siblings didn't know how to help."

"Wow, that's sad." Tiffany said, frowning.

"Yeah, but it gets worse." Kyu said, sighing as she pulled her knees to her chest. "Luckily, a girl took notice of him when he was in sixth grade. Charles was shocked since no girl had ever shown interest in him before. For a long while, he was happy." Kyu then sighed again. "But unknown to him, the girl was just using Charles to get back at her ex. When he found out, he got upset and hurt the girl badly."

"He… hit her?" Tiffany asked, gasping. Kyu sadly nodded.

"He wasn't in his right frame of mind. He thought he had managed to find a small glimmer of hope, but it was quickly whisked away from him." Kyu said, continuing the story. "He managed to avoid suspension thanks to his parents, but after that, he basically shut himself off from the rest of the world. All he wanted was to hurry up and finish school so he could be done with it."

"What about high school?"

"High school was even worse." Kyu said. "Though he tried to ignore people and just do what was required of him, he was still on the receiving end of bullies and such. And as you know, high school lasts four years, so… yeah."

"Wow," Tiffany said, not knowing what else to say. "I'm really sorry to hear that."

"It's fine." Kyu said, shrugging. "He's opened back up, and his pretty much his old self. Despite how he acts, Charles has always had a good heart. Anyone could see it."

"Yeah…" Tiffany said, agreeing.

"Now, can you do me a favor?" Kyu asked.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Don't tell Charles I told you all this. I really wasn't supposed to, and if he finds out I did, he'll be even more upset at me than I imagine he already is." Kyu said.

"No problem." Tiffany said.

"Thanks." Kyu said, yawning. "Well, I'm starting to get tired so…"

"Yeah, same here." Tiffany said, crawling back under her covers.

"By the way," Kyu began. "Happy birthday."

"Huh?" Tiffany said, before noticing the clock was past midnight. "Oh. I guess it is my birthday."

"Yup. 21 years old, babe!" Kyu said, happily.

"Yup!" Tiffany said, agreeing. The two laughed before wishing each other a 'good night' and heading off to sleep. Unknown to the two, a certain blue-haired recluse was silently pretending to sleep, all the while listening to the two's conversation. What she was thinking, however, was anyone's guess…

* * *

 **And that concludes the first part of the Christmas special. Sorry if you thought the ending lacked something or the chapter was too short. As I said in the beginning, a lot of things happened between now and November when I last updated. First off, were my Finals, which were a killer. I barely managed to pass, but I did. Secondly, there were a lot of Christmas and New Year parties that I was _forced_ (and yes, I do say forced) to go to. My friends, apparently, don't know how to take 'no' for an answer. Thirdly, I caught a really bad cold and couldn't move, much less type. And lastly, my computer kept crashing on me and caught a really bad virus. I lost almost all of my files, including my Huniepop chapters. Luckily, I remembered that I saved them all on a flash drive, so there's that.**

 **Again, I apologize for the chapter if you didn't like it. I was planning on making it a lot longer, but because of all the delays I just decided to cut it in half, which I really hate to do.**

 **The second part is already in progress, and I'm hoping that I'll have it done before the end of this month. That's the good news, at any rate. The bad news is that classes start next week, so updates will slow down a bit, I'm afraid. Still, I'll continue writing since I owe it to all of my fans and the people who have supported me. Again, I thank you all for your patience and hope you continue to bear with me. Until next time!**


	11. Special Edition: Huniepop Christmas- 2

**Hello everyone! I'm glad to see many of you have stuck around for so long. I'd like to apologize for the long delay. The majority of this chapter wasn't written by me but was actually written by my younger sister, who is also a fan of Huniepop. Since I was so busy, she opted to write this chapter, herself. I just edited and put on the finishing touches. So, if you like it, now you know who to thank. So, without further ado, let's get to it!**

* * *

 **Tuesday, Maye Household- Afternoon**

Jessie Maye silently drove her convertible down the familiar road leading to her parents' house. She couldn't remember the last time she had been here. Before her daughter was born, she made a habit of visiting almost every month. When Tiffany left to go live with her parents, however, all of that came to a stop. She couldn't go to see her for fear of having the door slammed in her face. It had been almost two years since Jessie had seen her daughter or her dad. She had spoken to her mom on the phone and had seen her outside of her house several times, but the meetings were always brief. Her dad was a homebody, and if it didn't involve work or lifting heavy objects, he wasn't liable to be seen out in the city.

The adult actress agonized over going to see her daughter on this, her 21st birthday, where she was legally an adult in society's eyes. It was only when she received a call from her mother yesterday that she finally relented.

 ***Flashback***

"You want me to what?" Jessie asked as she was talking on the phone to someone. She had just woken up from her drunken slumber and was still in her bath robe. She had been sleeping for hours now, and she would have continued to sleep, if the phone on her bedroom dresser hadn't rung. When she looked at the clock on her wall, she was surprised to see that it was already 9:28 P.M. She had been asleep for almost eight hours!

"I want you to come tomorrow and attend Tiffany's birthday dinner." Jessie's mom answered on the phone. "Your father wouldn't let her have her party tomorrow since he wants it to be for family only. So after he said that, the two of us sat down and talked, and we figured it wouldn't be a party without you."

"Mom…" Jessie started, only to be cut off.

"Don't 'mom' me, honey." Her mom kindly chastised. "It's been almost two years since the two of you have last seen each other, and even longer than that when it comes to you and your father."

"Mom, as much as I would like to visit, you know my daughter isn't exactly on the best of terms with me right now."

"I'll just explain that it was I who invited you over." Her mother explained.

"You think that will matter in the slightest?" Jessie argued. "She'll just be upset at you because you didn't inform her first. You've known Tiffany all her life, mom. If there's one thing she hates more than anything, its people keeping secrets from her. That's why she and I are in the predicament we're in now."

"Well then, perhaps this will be good for her. Besides, you can't get through life without taking a few risks. How do think your father and I got married? We certainly didn't do so by laying around, waiting for life to give us a chance."

"Mom…" Jessie stated, only for her mom to cut her off again."

"Sweetie, I know you've been missing Tiffany since she left. This will be a good chance for the two of you to patch things up and go back to being mother and daughter again."

"…I'd like that." Jessie said, nodding to herself.

"So would I." Her mom agreed. "You don't know, but it's been torture on Tiffany. Even though her mouth says one thing, I know deep inside, she truly misses you."

"…Alright." Jessie said, with a sigh. "I'll be over there tomorrow."

"Good." Her mom said, smiling through the phone. "Your father and I can't wait to see you again. Have a good night, sweetie."

"Yeah, you too mom." Jessie said, hanging up. She sighed as she put the phone back on the receiver and just sat there on her bed, not knowing what to say, think or even how to feel. She glanced over at her calendar at the date she had marked.

"Tomorrow…" she said to no one in particular. "Tomorrow's the day…"

 ***End flashback***

Jessie sighed as she continued driving down the lonely road. Her parents lived on the outskirts of the city in the suburbs. Unlike the hustle and bustle of the city, the only thing the suburbs had to offer was peace and quiet, perfect for any who wanted to escape. Her parents were in their early 70's, and both were retired, but that didn't stop them from working. When she had time, Jessie's mother often baked sweets and such for all the people of the suburbs. And when he wasn't holed up in bed, her dad was lifting up heavy objects, constructing roofs and other such manual labor that a man his age should obviously not be doing.

After driving for some time, the porn star finally stopped her car at a two-story house at the far end of a street. She took a good look at it and was filled with a sense of nostalgia.

" _I wonder if this is how kids feel when they finally return home after so long."_ She thought to herself. This was the first time in a long while she had returned home. Even before Tiffany had moved out, she didn't visit as much as she did. When she got into the porn business, obviously her parents did not approve. After about three months of silence and a long hard talk about it, Jessie's mom finally relented. Though she still didn't approve, she, nonetheless, respected her daughter's decision. Her father was a different story. Unlike her mother, her dad was a very pious man, and though he claimed to be all right with his daughter's "profession", Jessie couldn't help but feel that deep inside her dad's heart, there would always be a sense of disappointment in him that would never vanish.

With a heavy heart, the adult actress struggled as she undid her seatbelt and got out of her car. She didn't know what was wrong with her. She had starred in dozens of videos made to satisfy the desires of perverted and lonely men. She had hundreds of photos of her taken in provocative situations and poses. And she had worked numerous times as a naked dancer at Lusties' Nightclub. She had done plenty of things that would make a normal woman turn scarlet red, and she had not been nervous in any of them.

However, she had never felt more tension and anxiety in all her life than she did as she walked up the holy steps leading to her parent's front door. In her hands, were two boxes wrapped in colorful wrapping paper. One was wrapped in pink with a blue ribbon, while the other was colored red with a green ribbon. One was meant to be opened on her birthday, which was today, and the other was meant to be opened three days from now on Christmas morning. Jessie had thought long and hard about what her daughter would want. Despite being part of her family, the adult actress had to admit that she knew little of her daughter's interests, aside from the fact that she loved cheerleading and was studying to become a nurse. Anything else, she had learned from her mother. Therefore, she wasn't exactly sure if her daughter would like her gifts or not, but sincerely hoped that she would.

The lone mother stood out on the porch for about five minutes, her hands holding both boxes, as she hesitated to hit the doorbell in the house. Her heart was literally pounding against her chest, as she put one of her presents on top of the other and with a shaking hand hit the doorbell next to the door. She didn't know what would happen next. She half expected her daughter to answer the door and to slam it in her face. Her heart continued beating until the door opened, at last, revealing a seasoned old woman whose face was covered in floor and was wearing a cooking apron with a long purple dress. When she saw who was at the door, her eyes grew wide and her mouth slowly fell open before realization hit her.

"Jessie!" The old woman said, as she hugged her daughter tightly. "Oh, it's so good to see you again, sweetie!"

"Y-yeah, you too, mom." Jessie said, as she, momentarily lost her breathe from her mother's hug.

"Well, don't just stand out there in the cold. Come on in!" She said, ushering her daughter inside. Jessie looked around the entranceway and took a look around the house. She marveled at how nothing looked different since she had been here last. It been almost a decade since she last set foot in her old home, and it still hadn't changed a bit. She couldn't keep herself from smiling as she looked around her family's living room.

"It's been a while for you, hasn't it?" Jessie's mom asked as she walked into the living room with her.

"Yeah, it certainly has." Jessie answered, still smiling. "You guys didn't change this place up one bit in over 10 years."

"Well, you know your father. He hates when things change and prefers that they stay the same." Her mother explained, shaking her head.

"Yeah." Jessie simply said, before realizing something. "Hey, speaking of which, where is dad, anyway?"

"Oh, he didn't want to sit around and wait for you to get here, so he and a couple of his friends decided to go play touch football at the local park."

"Football?" Jessie questioned, whilst raising an eyebrow. "Is that really safe? Hasn't his back been giving him problems lately?"

"Yes, but there's no reasoning with your father." Her mother said, shaking her head again. "The man's as stubborn as a mule. But I suppose that's one of the reasons I fell in love with him." At this, both women laughed for a bit, before settling down. Soon, Jessie's eyes fell upon the stairs leading to the second story of the house, and she felt nervousness and doubt creeping up on her again. Her mother must have noticed her look as she gently touched her shoulder.

"She's not here right now, I'm afraid." Her mother spoke. "She and her friends left early this afternoon to go shopping for her Christmas party on Thursday."

"Oh." Jessie said, a bit relieved, yet also disappointed. A part of her was glad she wouldn't have to face her daughter right away, yet another part of her was upset as she really wanted to see her daughter's face once again.

"She'll be back a bit later on. Your father wanted her to be here early for her birthday dinner." She then gently grabbed her daughter's arm. "Why don't you come help me in the kitchen in the meantime? I would appreciate some help."

"Uhh… sure." Jessie said, as she walked with her mother, but stopped as she spotted something. She had gotten a good look at the living room, and was surprised to see nothing had changed much, but one thing had escaped her field of vision: the large Christmas tree that was centered on the far side of the room next to the window.

She walked up to and marveled at it. It was a freshly cut tree and smelled just like the outdoors. It was adorn with tons of Christmas decorations and the bright yellow lights were on, giving the scene something of a majestic feeling. Jessie looked around the tree for one object in particular. She found it, near the top of the tree: a gingerbread man that she made when she was only 13 in the sixth grade. She took it down off the branch and looked at it, surprised. Despite it being incredibly brittle, it was still the same old gingerbread man.

"Surprised?" Jessie's mom asked, as she walked up to her daughter, standing beside her.

"I…I can't believe you both still have this thing…" Jessie said, looking at the cookie and its dopey smile.

"Of course we still have it? Why wouldn't we?" Her mother asked. "All things in this house that are made with love we keep, no matter how bridle or old they may get."

"Mom…" Jessie said, as her vision become blurry as water filled her eyes. Her motherly instincts taking over, her mother wrapped her arms around her daughter and hugged her as her daughter softly cried. She softly shushed her daughter who continued to cry. After several minutes, the adult actress's sobs ceased and she sniffed as she tried to regain her composure.

"Feel better?" Her mother asked, smiling. Jessie nodded, rubbing her eyes.

"Thank you." Jessie said, smiling, though her eyes were red. Her mother nodded and hugged her daughter again, before leading her into the kitchen to help her cook and rekindle old memories and thoughts.

 **Tuesday, Shopping Mall- Afternoon**

" _I was quick to chastise Kyu on the commercialism of Christmas, yet here I am participating in it."_ I thought as I browsed the stalls and shelves of one of the many stores in the mall. I sighed as there was nothing appealing and left to venture another store. Looking around at all of the stores he had yet to visit, the young man couldn't help but sigh once again.

" _Who knew shopping for girls would be so difficult?"_ I thought as I pulled a piece of paper out of my back pocket. On it were a list of names of all the girls I had met and been… acquainted with. Beside each of their names was a box that was supposed to be filled with a check mark to show that he had bought a gift for them. So far, however, none of the girls' names had been checked.

" _What am I even doing here?"_ I thought until I remembered why in the form of a text on my phone. Pulling it out, I pressed a few buttons until the text in question appeared on my screen:

" _You are cordially invited to attend the Christmas Eve party on Thursday, December 24_ _th_ _at Tiffany Maye's place of residence. Hope to see you there!"_

"Oh, right." I said, talking to myself. I sighed as I scratched the back of my head, ideally. "Maybe I'll just get some lunch first and then resume my search."

"Charles?" Someone called out, surprising me. I turned around quickly and spotted a familiar beautiful and attractive young Hispanic woman.

"Kyanna?" I said, a bit surprised to see her.

"Hey!" She said, rushing up to me. "It's awfully ironic to see you here."

"Ironic?" I repeated, cocking an eyebrow. "Ironic how?"

"The others were here about an hour or so ago doing their shopping." Kyanna explained.

"Others?" I asked.

"Yeah. Tiffany, your cousin, Kyu, and… Audrey." Kyanna said, straining to say the last girl's name as if it were some sort of taboo. "I would have gone with them, but I had to work. I'm only now just getting off."

"Kyu was here?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah… why?" Kyanna asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Were you expecting her not to be or something?"

"No, it's just… you know what? Never mind." I said, waving it off, not wanting to think about it right now.

"Okaaaay…" Kyanna said, not knowing what to think or say. "Anyway, what are you doing here, dude? Some late Christmas shopping?"

"Huh? Oh, uhh… yeah. I kinda am." I answered. "I was just taking about to take a break, though. I've been here since late this morning, and I haven't eaten anything all day."

"Oh? Well than, let's go!" Kyanna said, dragging him behind her.

"Hey, whoa!" I yelled out as Kyanna yanked on my arm and dragged me to wherever she was going. "Wait, where are we going?"

"To the food court, duh!" Kyanna answered, as if it was the most obvious thing. "I haven't eaten since this morning either, so I'm a bit puckish too."

"Oh." And that was all I was able to say as I continued being pulled around like some toy or a child. Within minute, the two of us arrived at the food court. I groaned as Kyanna let go of my arm and rubbed it, trying to get some blood flowing back into it.

"So, what are you getting?" Kyanna asked, as we stood in the middle of the court, all of the restaurants circling us. I looked as she pulled out some money from her pocket, and my eyes grew big.

"Huh?" I expressed, confused. "Wait, isn't it the man who's supposed to be paying when two people go out?"

"I don't know." Kyanna said, walking up close to me a smirk on her face. "Are we suddenly going out?"

"Uhhh…" I said, blushing as I swallowed a lump in my throat. I then looked as she suddenly laughed out loud, amused at the expression on my face.

"Relax dude! It was just a joke." She said, calming down a bit. "Besides, I was the one who invited you out, remember? So, it's my treat."

"Oh, well… if you insist." I said, though a part of me still felt a bit bad that a girl was paying for the meal. After she paid for our meal, Kyanna and I sat together at a nearby table. I was busy munching on some Chinese food while Kyanna was eating a plain green salad. I took notice of her meal and how she seemed to be enjoying it before looking down at mine. For some reason, I felt a bit embarrassed.

"Hmm, what's wrong?" Kyanna asked.

"Oh, it's nothing." I answered. "Just realizing that maybe I should be more like you and start paying more attention to what it is I eat and stuff."

"I think that's good." Kyanna said, taking another bite out of her salad. "I think everyone should eat vegetables at least once a week, if not per day."

"Are you a vegetarian, by any chance?" I asked, out of curiosity.

"Me? Nahhh, I couldn't be a vegetarian even if I tried. My brothers and I love meat too much!"

"Me too." I said, nodding. "I honestly have no problem with vegetables everyday. I just have to have some meat on my plate to counteract it."

"Ha! Same here!" Kyanna said, as we both shared a laugh. I had to admit, eating lunch with someone once in a while was a rather enjoyable experience. One I wouldn't mind engaging in from time to time.

"So, who were you doing shopping for?" Kyanna asked as I took another bite of my food. "Your family?"

"No, I had finished their shopping about a week ago. I just mailed their stuff out two days ago." I answered.

"Aww, that was nice." Kyanna said, smiling.

"Thanks. It was the least I could do since I wouldn't be able to go see them."

"How come?" She asked.

"It's too dangerous to travel on the roads since they've been frozen due to the weather. Apparently, there have been too many accidents and "precaution" is needed." I said, rolling my eyes.

"Aww, that sucks. Sorry to hear that." Kyanna said, apologizing. "So, it'll just be you and Kyu on Christmas morning by yourselves?"

"Unfortunately," I said, sighing. "But it's fine. A small Christmas is better than no Christmas at all."

"That's true." Kyanna agreed, nodding.

"And on the bright side, there's a Christmas party on Christmas Eve, so it's not all bad."

"Oh! You're talking about Tiffany's birthday party?" Kyanna asked, making me cock an eyebrow.

"Birthday party?" I repeated.

"Yeah. Her birthday is actually today, but she's having the party on Christmas Eve." Kyanna explained.

"Ohh." I said, in realization. "That's cool. So, her birthday is today? How old is she?"

"Same age as me, dude. 21!" Kyanna answered, smiling.

"Wow, really?" I said, surprised.

" _Man, that's a shocker if I've ever heard one."_ I thought. _"Neither of them look anywhere near 20. Tiffany looks young enough to still be in high school, and with how well she looks, I'd have thought Kyanna to be in her late 20's or something."_

"Charles?" Kyanna called out to me, bringing me back to reality. "You okay? You were staring off into space."

"O-oh, was I?" I asked, scratching the back of my head. "Sorry, I was just thinking…"

"About what?"

"Uhh…" I stuttered.

" _I'd better not say anything about her age. I don't want to offend her!"_

"…Just… thinking how hard it'll be to buy presents for Tiffany now…" I answered, lying a bit.

"Oh? Because it's her birthday?" Kyanna asked.

"Yeah, kinda," I answered. "Tiffany's my friend and classmate, but besides knowing that she likes cheerleading and schoolwork, I don't really know much about her."

"Oh, well I can help you there!" Kyanna offered. "Tiffany and I have been friends for the past two years now. If you want some help with her, I'm here!"

"Really? That's cool. Thanks."

"No problem, dude! We can go as soon as you're ready."

With that, Kyanna and I soon finished our lunch and she immediately took me to some sort of party/dressing store.

"The thing about Tiffany is that even though she's a certified schoolgirl, she's known to get a little crazy every now and then." Kyanna explained.

"I can believe that," I said, as memories of the Halloween party came to mind. "So, I should get her something party-related?"

"Yeah, exactly!" Kyanna said as she started browsing the shelves. It only took her a second to find what she was looking for. "Something like this!" I looked at what she was holding and my eyebrows went up in confusion.

"A… pacifier?" I questioned, looking at the baby-sucking device that Kyanna had in her hand.

"It's actually called a 'binky'," Kyanna explained. "Ravers tend to wear these things a lot."

"Why?" I asked.

"I don't know. I've never worn one myself." Kyanna said, shrugging as she put the item back and continued looking. Seconds later, she called me again. "You could get her a pair of these!"

"Glow sticks?" I asked, looking at the brightly-colored sticks that my Hispanic friend held in her hands.

"Yep! Party-lovers love these things. They help to light up the rave and increase the mood."

"Aren't raves bright enough with all the lights and stuff?" I asked.

"Argh, you're thinking about this too hard, dude. Like I said, these just help to get people amped up, is all."

"Sorry." I said, rubbing the back of my head.

"It's alright. Just keep an open mind, k?" Kyanna asked.

"Yes ma'am." I said, making the active girl giggle. I looked around for a bit until I looked up and saw something high on the shelf. Reaching upward, I struggled for a bit until I managed to get a touch on it, pulling it down. I looked as it was brightly-colored wig. I stared at it for a bit, wondering if a girl like Tiffany would ever wear something like this.

"Now, THAT is awesome!" Kyanna said, startling me. She walked up to me and looked at the wig, smiling. "Nice eye, dude! Tiffany will definitely like something like this."

"Really?" I asked.

"Yup! Girls tend to wear wigs like these all the time at raves. It helps them to look younger or older than they are." Kyanna explained.

"You sure? Isn't the hair a little short for her?"

"Meh, I'm sure she'll come up with something. She's a smart girl." Kyanna said, waving off my concerns.

"Well, if you're sure," I said as I walked up to the register to pay for it.

"Trust me dude, she'll love it." Kyanna said, reaffirming me. I smiled and nodded at her. After that, the two of us walked out of the store.

"Thanks a lot, Kyanna," I said, thanking my friend. "This helped a lot. I'd still be wearing what to buy her if not for you."

"No problem, dude!" Kyanna said as she slapped me on my back, surprising me. If she noticed my distress, she didn't say anything. "Like I said, she'll love it. Trust me."

"I hope so." I said, dusting myself off.

"So, is that all the shopping you have to do?" she asked.

"Well, not exactly," I answered. "I still have a few more gifts to buy. But you don't have to stay around if you don't want to! You've already helped me out plenty."

"Naaa, it's cool, dude." Kyanna said, waving off my concern. "I already finished all of my holiday shopping and I'm off work until New Year's, so I've got plenty of free time."

"Oh, well if you're okay with it…" I trailed off.

"Yeah! Like I said, it's cool." She said, smiling. "So, who else do you have to shop for?"

"Oh, well…" I said, pulling out my 'Girls' List' from my back pocket. I quickly put a check mark by Tiffany's name, signaling I was done shopping for her.

"…There's still you, obviously." I said, pointing at Kyanna. "There's Audrey, Beli, Kyu, Nikki, Lola, Jessie and Aiko."

"Great!" Kyanna said before something clicked in her brain. "Wait, who were the last girls you mentioned?"

"Hmm?" I said, before looking at my list. "Oh, uhh… Lola, Jessie and Aiko." I repeated.

"Lola, Jessie, and Aiko," Kyanna repeated. "You know all of them?"

"Uhh… yeah, though not well enough for us to be friends. Maybe acquaintances."

"Oh." Kyanna said, though she still had a lot to say, but chose not to voice it yet. She looked as I was already walking away, heading to a new store.

"Hey, wait up!" She called out rushing after me.

 **An hour later…**

"Are you sure Beli will like this stuff?" I asked as Kyanna and I walked out of a thrift store. I looked at the assortment of "gifts" I had gotten for the yoga instructor, and they had all consisted of stuff one could easily find outside.

"Trust me, dude," Kyanna said, walking beside me. "For as long as I've known Beli, she goes crazy over this type of stuff. Anything to do with Nature, she loves. Even if it's ordinary stuff like this." She said, holding up a pine cone. "She likes to collect them for some reason."

"Why?" I asked, confused.

"Meh, no clue. She says it helps her feel closer to Nature." Kyanna answered, shrugging. "I personally have no idea what it means, but to each their own I guess."

"If you say so," I said, shrugging as I pulled out my list. I put a checkmark by Beli's name and looked as I still had five more girls to go.

"So, who's all that's left?" Kyanna asked, looking over my shoulder at the list.

"Well, there's you, Kyu, Jessie, Aiko and Lola." I answered.

"Hmm, I don't think I can help you with the first two." Kyanna admitted. "You know Kyu better than anyone, so I figured you'd know what to get her."

"Oh, don't worry." I said, assuring her. "I already have a gift for Kyu in mind." That wasn't the whole truth, but it wasn't exactly a lie either. I had an idea of what to get Kyu, but not a clear one.

"Well, that's good." Kyanna said, smiling. "As for the last three, I can think of several things to get Aiko and Lola, but we may have trouble with Jessie."

"That's fine," I said. "I'll take any help I can get."

"Well alrighty! Let's get going!"

"Uhh… okay!" I said, walking beside her, a beat in my step. I took notice of Kyanna walking beside me, and I couldn't help but smile.

" _I have to admit, being with such an attractive girl isn't all bad."_ I thought. _"I have to wonder though, why is Kyanna helping me? It isn't cause she pities me, is it? Does… does she enjoy being with me? Or…?"_

I shook my head trying to repress these negative thoughts creeping into my head.

" _Bah! The reason doesn't matter!"_ I thought. _"The fact of the matter is, she's here beside me. It doesn't matter if this is a date or not. I'm walking alongside a hot, young woman and I'm going to make the most of it!"_

"Hey Kyanna," I said, getting her attention. "Out of curiosity, how exactly do you know Jessie, Aiko and Lola?"

"Oh, believe it or not dude, they actually attend Beli's yoga classes with me." Kyanna answered, making me stop.

"Wait, what?" I asked, surprised.

"It's true!" Kyanna said, loudly. "I actually met the three of them in my yoga class. Not all together, though."

"Really?" I asked, still surprised.

"Yup! Aiko was the first one I met. She joined a week after me. Apparently, Beli asked her to join, and she agreed." Kyanna explained. "Jessie joined soon afterwards, and at the next class, she invited her friend, Lola, to attend."

"Wow." I said. "That's… interesting."

" _That's one word for it!"_ I thought. _"I mean, I could see someone like Lola taking an interest in yoga. And maybe even Aiko. But Jessie? That's a shock onto me."_

"I know, right?" Kyanna said, agreeing with me. "What about you?"

"Huh?"

"How do you know all three of them?" she asked.

"Oh, well…" I began. "Aiko is actually one of my and Tiffany's teachers at the university we go to."

"Really?" Kyanna asked, surprised. "Funny, she doesn't strike me as someone who teaches."

"Tiffany and I thought the same thing when we first saw her." I said, erupting a laugh from us both.

"What about the others?" Kyanna asked.

"Well, I met Jessie one night at the bar after a stressful day at work, and I met Lola the next day when I stopped at the café for some breakfast." I explained.

"Wow, small world." Kyanna said, impressed.

"I know, right?" I agreed, making us both laugh again as we both resumed my Christmas shopping.

 **Tuesday, Maye Household- Late Afternoon**

"So how has everything been since you and dad retired?" Jessie asked as she was kneading some cookie dough with her mother.

"Oh, it's been well, sweetie." Her mother answered standing beside her at the kitchen counter. "Your father and I can't complain. …Well, he can, but I won't. I'm personally happy with my life right now." she said, laughing at her own joke.

"Oh, well that's good." Jessie said, as she continued rolling the dough, leaving the conversation open. She had hoped her mother wouldn't notice, but unfortunately, she did.

"…Why? What's wrong?" Her mother asked, looking at her.

"Nothing." Jessie answered immediately, though her mother wasn't falling for it.

"Honey, I've lived with you long enough to know when you're lying or when something is wrong. What is it?" Her mother said, looking at her daughter in the eye.

"…Well…" Jessie began.

"Yes?" Her mother said, waiting for her to continue.

"…I guess… I guess I'm just coming to terms that you, and dad, and Tiffany, and I aren't as young as we used to be." Jessie explained as she took her flowery hands out of the dough and laid them on the counter top. "…The last time I can recall dad, he was in his mid 40's." Jessie as she her voice began to get shaky. "…And the last time I saw my own daughter was two years ago, when she was just a teenager."

The adult actress's eyes began to fill with water as she bowled her fists up on the counter.

"…A-and now, n-now s-she's turned 21. A f-full-fledged adult!" Jessie shouted as she tears flowed from her eyes.

"Oh, sweetie…" Her mom said wrapping her arms around her daughter and putting her head in her chest.

"…All that precious time, mom… wasted! And for what?!" She yelled, as she cried into her mother's chest, her tears soaking her mother's apron. For the past several minutes, they stood like that with Jessie's mother quietly shushing her and rubbing the back of her head as if she were still a little girl. Eventually, the young woman's sobs softened and her tears lessened.

"Feel better?" Her mother asked.

"Y-yeah." Jessie said nodding, wiping away her tears with the palm of her hands. "Thanks mom."

"You're welcome." Her mother said, before grabbing her daughter by the chin making her look at her. "Listen sweetie, and I want you to listen carefully." Her daughter silently nodded in confirmation. "Your father and I don't regret anything about our lives or yours. We're happy with our lives and we expect you to by happy with yours."

"Mom…" Jessie said, only for her mom to shush her.

"Are their times when I wonder if things could have been different? Yes, I do. But I don't harp on them or let them bother me. There's no point in worrying about things that you can't control. The past is one of them."

"You sound like my friend, Lola, right now." Jessie said, chuckling a bit as she found the whole thing ironic.

"She sounds like a smart woman then," Her mother said, smiling before turning serious again. "But in all serious sweetie, I am happy with my life and am happy with everything I've seen and experienced. I've had the opportunity to watch my daughter grow up into a beautiful young woman and for her to have a child of her own. I've been married to a stubborn, yet fine man for 40+ years. I have absolutely no regrets, and I don't expect you to have any either."

"Regrets?" Jessie repeated.

"Do you regret having Tiffany?" Her mother asked, knowing her daughter's reaction.

"Of course not!" Jessie yelled.

"Well, alright then." Her mother said, smiling and going back to cooking the family meal. Jessie stared at her mother for a few moments in confusion, until she decided to return helping her. Her mother's question was still in her mind, however, and she suspected it would stay there for a long while…

 **45 minutes later…**

"Ahh, finally done!" Jessie's mother said as she collapsed in one of the chairs in the kitchen, exhausted from all the cooking she and her daughter had just done.

"That didn't take very long." Jessie said as she sat down beside her mother.

"Usually, it takes me a lot longer to finish cooking." Her mother explained. "Tiffany usually helps me when she's not busy, or she'll cook the entire meal herself."

"Really?" The adult actress asked, surprised.

"Yes. She knows that your father and I aren't getting any older, so she does what she can around the house to help us lighten the load a bit." Her mother explained. She then put her finger on her chin, and looked up at the ceiling as if she was remembering something. "You know, now that I think of it, she reminds me of you, actually."

"Me?" Jessie asked, blinking.

"Yes. Don't you recall how you used to help around the house sometimes when your father and I were exhausted?"

"All I recall is that when I first tried my hand at cooking, the entire house was filled with smoke." Jessie answered.

"Oh yes, now _that_ I recall." The old woman said, as the two of them laughed at each other. They sat there for several minutes rekindling old memories, until the sound of the doorbell surprised them both. Jessie's mother sighed as she stood up. "More than likely, that's your father. Probably misplaced his key… _again_."

Jessie watched her mother slowly walk out of the kitchen to go answer the door. She was tempted to tell her to sit back down so she could answer it, but she kept her mouth shut. The thought of seeing her dad again after a long period of time was nice, but at the same time, it also unsettled her. She loved her dad dearly, but she still couldn't get used to the thought of him speaking to her and not being disappointed in her.

Jessie's family never believed in beatings and whips and such. Oh sure, Jessie got her side of chastisements, but nothing so dire as getting hit with a belt or a whip or anything like that. There were times when she was: sent to her room without supper, forced to go to bed early, had her cell phone taken away, her T.V. privileges revoked or ground from going anywhere on a Friday or Saturday night. But Jessie could never recall a time when her parents would ever use excessive force on her. She didn't know why.

No, the only thing she could ever recall about getting punished was the disapproving look she always saw in both her parents' eyes; more so her father's than her mother's. Maybe it was because she was a mom, but Jessie always found her to be more forgiving than angry. Oh, there were times when she'd seem upset, but give her a couple of hours or a day or so, and her mom would forget all about it. That was one of the things Jessie loved about her mom. She was so slow to anger, but she was always quick to forgive. Though that way of thinking could prove to be naïve, Jessie's mother never looked at kindness as a weakness, but as a strength.

With her father, the situation was different. He was, as the saying goes, "modest in temper, but bold in deed." The man rarely ever showed his angry side, though Jessie did see it more times than she cared to admit. Whenever he got upset, he had a way of hanging guilt over your head like a weapon. He wouldn't voice it out, but he would let you know in other ways, such as with a shaking of his head or a disapproving glance. He was a man of few words, preferring to let his actions speak for him. Maybe that's why he and Jessie never really talked much after she left the house.

The adult actress was still lost in her thoughts when someone entered the kitchen. It was when she heard a couple of bags hit the floor did she snap out of her stupor. She looked at the entrance and her eyes grew big and wide as she stared, not at her father, who she thought it was, but at her own daughter, Tiffany, who was staring back at her with the same expression.

For a long while, the two just stood at each other, shocked. Not one said a thing as they were too startled to speak. But that didn't stop their thoughts from entering into their head.

" _Is… is that really my daughter?"_ Jessie thought, as she took a good look at the woman standing before her.

" _She's changed so much I barely recognize her…"_

She had listened to her mother talk for hours about her daughter, from her appearance, to her activities, to her hobbies, to her friends, etc. She had even seen some of her daughter's pictures with some of her friends on her account online. However, pictures and descriptions were only one thing. To truly understand something, you sometimes had to see it in person. And after laying eyes on her daughter for so long after three years, it was safe to say that pictures and such didn't do her any justice.

"W-what…?" Tiffany softly muttered. "W-what are you… doing here?"

"…H-huh?" Her mother said, confused.

"What… are you doing here?" The young cheerleader repeated, a bit louder this time.

"I…" Jessie started, only to have been cut off by her mother entering the room.

"I invited her to come." Her mother said, answering for Jessie. The adult actress looked at her mom, worried about the repercussions that were going to come as a result of this.

"Why?" Tiffany asked as she turned to face her grandmother, who folded her arms in response to the question.

"Why?" The old woman repeated, a serious expression on her face, which shocked both Tiffany and Jessie. Jessie had only seen her mother wearing that look twice. The first was when she revealed that was pregnant and when she was dropping out of high school. The other time was when she found out that Jessie was participating in pornography. Tiffany, until now, had been fortunate not to receive such a look from her grandmother, since she always pictured her as a kind, gentle woman.

"That is a foolish question, Tiffany. She is your mother. The woman who gave birth to you and raised you." The grandmother spoke, looking down at her granddaughter. "What's more, this is her house as much as it is yours. She has a right to visit her old home whenever she pleases."

Tiffany's mouth hung open for a while, before she simply turned her head away, upset, deeming the argument lost. Jessie, who was still sitting in her chair, also looked away, knowing that her daughter was upset, but realizing there was nothing she could do about it. She wouldn't receive help or support from her, of all people. Plus, she couldn't fight against her mother; all that would do is make her seem a bit like a hypocrite.

"Now…" The old woman said, calming herself down. "…I know not where that husband of mine is at the moment, but I'm afraid I no longer have the patience to wait for him." She said as she began walking to the counter top to collect the food.

"Jessie dear," She said, getting her daughter's attention. "Could you and your daughter be so kind as to help the table, please?"

The adult actress's mouth fell open and she meekly turned and looked at her daughter, who was still standing there, upset. She was afraid she'd have to call out to her, but apparently her daughter heard her grandmother as she began walking to the cabinet and started pulling out plates for everyone. Jessie sighed as she sat up from her seat and walked to the nearby drawer, pulling out silverware.

She silently looked as her daughter set down four plates at each corner of the table. Jessie quickly figured out that the fourth plate must have been either hers or her father's in case he decided to come in while they were all eating. When her was daughter was finished, the adult actress went about placing the silverware next to each plate. As she did, she happened to pass by her daughter who said nothing as she made her way to her grandmother, helping her prepare the food.

" _Well, so far, so good."_ Jessie thought as she laid the silverware down. _"Though I know that if mom wasn't in the room she'd probably be screaming obscenities at me right now."_

The thought, for some reason, made Jessie chuckle to herself. She looked over to where her mother and daughter were standing, preparing to bring the food to the table. Her mother raised her head, looking at her daughter, giving her a knowing look. Though she was taken aback at first, the adult actress eventually nodded, making her way over to the two of them, helping them. She noticed her daughter discreetly did an intake of breath, as if being near her mother was suffocating her. She quickly moved from her spot, bringing some dinner rolls to the table and took her time getting back to the counter.

The adult actress sighed sorrowfully, as she began following her daughter's steps and bringing food to the table. As usual, her daughter so much as refused to even look in her direction, staring straight ahead. Though she was saddened by it, Jessie also couldn't help but be a bit put off by it. She understood that her daughter was upset, but was she also so upset that she couldn't even acknowledge her own mother's presence? Today, she was 21, but she, as far as mother was concerned, was still acting childish, which was a shock for Jessie herself to think.

From the sidelines, the old woman saw the interaction and could tell that it would only be a matter of time under the "fireworks" began…

 **Several minutes later…**

All three ladies were seated at the kitchen table, quietly eating. Because her father was not present at the moment, Jessie's mother allowed her to take his seat, at the head of the table. Though Jessie said that told her she could sit anywhere else, her mother insisted. Jessie, herself, didn't know if she was doing this to surprise her husband for when he walked through the front door, or if it was just to spite her granddaughter, who she could see was fuming at the thought of anyone sitting in her grandfather's seat. Maybe it was both.

As the three ladies quietly ate, the old woman tried to make small talk with both of her daughters, in an attempt to get either one of them to open up, as if she was trying to get around the proverbial "elephant in the room".

"So Tiffany, how are your classes going exactly?" Her grandmother asked, eager to get rid of uncomfortable silence that was hanging in the air.

"Fine." Tiffany simply answered, as she jabbed her fork into her collard greens.

"Fine, in what way?" Her grandmother continued to ask.

"Just fine."

Her grandmother sighed and dipped into her plate again, taking a bite out of the orange carrots she had on her plate. She looked, out of the corner of her eye, at her daughter, who was stealing glances at her daughter as she silently bit into her dinner.

"Jessie dear, how is your… business coming along?" She asked, figuring her daughter would be more receptive to her.

"Huh? Oh, uhh…" Jessie began, surprised to hear her mother asks about her job, since it wasn't really one of her parents' favorite choices of conversation.

"…It's good, mom. No complaints." Jessie answered, hoping that would be a quick end to it. Tiffany, silently, rolled her eyes before turning back to her plate.

" _She could talk about her job all day long if she wanted,"_ Tiffany thought. _"The only reason she isn't because of Grandma."_

The old woman nodded, returning to her plate of food. It was quiet for a few more moments until the phone in the living room began to ring.

"I forgot to unplug that blasted thing…" The old woman muttered as she pushed out her chair and walked into the living room. It was only after she left that the two women remaining realized that they were by themselves. They took one look at each other, before swiftly returning to their plates, for different reasons. It was only when the two of them reached for a dinner roll did they look at each other, once more. Tiffany swiftly moved her hand back more out of disgust than shock. Jessie, on the other hand, simply took a roll and bit into it, not bothering to waste perfectly good food.

"…So, what's your reason?" Tiffany asked, speaking out loud, which was a shock to her mother, who didn't think she'd ever hear her daughter talk to her.

"I'm… sorry?" Jessie said, even though she heard her daughter completely.

"What's your reasoning for being here?" Tiffany repeated, looking at her mother, with a frown. Jessie looked at her daughter for a long while, before creasing her eyebrows a bit.

"…I'm not allowed to see how my own parents' are doing in my old home?" Jessie asked, a bit upset.

"Don't play dumb with me, mom!" Tiffany yelled, raising her voice, shocking Jessie. "You could have visited grandma and grandpa anytime, yet you conveniently decide to visit them today, on my birthday?"

"Maybe I didn't visit them, because I knew you'd be here, and because I knew how you'd react if I did." Jessie argued.

"So now you're blaming me because you didn't keep up with your parents all this time?"

"I'm not blaming you for anything, dear." Jessie said, trying to reason with her daughter. "I left you alone for the last two and a half years, because you claimed you wanted some space from me and my… "lifestyle"."

"Well, can you honestly blame me?! I mean, finding out my own mother does pornography, of all things!"

"No, I don't! And that's my weight to bare! But for you to continue to be upset over something like that…"

For the past two minutes, the two women yelled and argued with each other, and would have continued had they not heard a loud 'thump' come from the other room. They stopped and looked at each other, before their eyes grew big and wide.

"Grandma?!" Tiffany yelled running out of the room.

"Mom?!" Jessie said, following her daughter.

Both women ran to the living room and looked at their mother who had fallen down on her knees. The phone was off the receiver, causing the loud dial tone to be heard. As the two ladies crowded around the older one, they looked as she had tears in her eyes.

"Mom?!" Jessie called, holding onto her shoulders. "What's wrong?! What happened?"

"…Jessie…" Her mom said, looking out straight ahead of her. "Your father…"

"…Dad? What happened to him?!"

"He…he had a… heart attack…"

 **Tuesday, Apartment- Late Afternoon**

"…I'm home!" Kyu cried out to no one in particular as she walked into the apartment where her client was staying. She had no use for keys or locks or stuff. She was a love fairy, after all! With just a snap of her fingers, she could disappear and reappear before anyone even knew it. Just one of the many perks of being a "mythical creature".

She looked around as she lugged her shopping bags into the house, looking around. There was no sign of Charles, but she probably figured he was up in his room or out and about somewhere, though the latter was unlikely as he was not an outgoing person, at all. It would take a lot to get him out of his room, and even then it may not be enough. It was no lie when she said that he may be her "greatest challenge to date".

The love fairy laughed as she reminisced about their first meeting and set her bags down in the living room before walking up the stairs to her client's room. She pressed her ear to his door, which was closed, trying to hear if he was present in the room or not. She couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary and shrugged before walking in.

"Champ?" She said, as she walked in. Her mouth fell open at the site before her, before she covered her mouth, trying to refrain from laughing out loud. She looked as her client was currently at his desk, napping with his head atop his arms. In front of him was some tape and wrapping paper, which he had been using to obviously wrap presents with. She quietly walked up to him and looked as he was drooling a bit on his arm. She covered her mouth as tried desperately to refrain from laughing.

" _I suppose it'd be rude to wake him…"_ Kyu thought to herself. _"…But that doesn't mean I can't enjoy this while I have the chance!"_

Looking around, the love fairy found her client's cell phone and quickly turned on the camera. Holding the camera steady for five seconds, she smiled as a snapshot of her friend's sleeping face appeared on the phone. She looked as he began to stir, stretching his arms as he looked around, getting a hold of his surroundings. He turned to his love fairy friend and looked at her for a few seconds, before his eyes grew big.

"Kyu?" I said, wiping the drool off my sleeve and face.

"Hey champ." The love fairy said, greeting me with a smile and a wave.

"What are you… doing here?" I asked, stretching as I stood up from my seat.

"Well, I still live here… don't I?" She said, though the statement was more of a question, as if she was asking permission to be let back in again.

"Yeah, I guess so." I answered, shrugging. "Glad to see you're back."

"Thanks! Glad to be back." Kyu said, happily. "Sleeping over at Tiffany's was interesting, but I'm glad to be back home.

"You slept over at Tiffany's house?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah, she had a sleepover yesterday with her friends and she invited me."

"Oh." I said, not really knowing what else to say. "Well, I'm glad you had fun."

"Thanks." Kyu replied. After that, the two of us stood there in awkward silence, trying to get around the proverbial "elephant in the room".

"You, uhh…" I started. "You… wanna help me finish with these presents?"

"Sure." Kyu agreed, grabbing a nearby chair from my room and joining me at my desk as we quietly began finishing up my Christmas wrapping, which wasn't a lot, since I had gotten most of it done before I fell asleep. Still, doing it alongside a friend had its merits. The two of us didn't apologize or say 'sorry'. Instead, we simply decided to let our actions speak instead, which was good enough for the both of us.

 **Tuesday, Glenberry Hospital- Evening**

"…The hit to his chest is what set off the attack." The doctor explained to the three terrified women sitting in the waiting room of the hospital.

After they received the news, all three women hurriedly rushed to their vehicles, with Jessie taking her own car, and Tiffany and her grandmother riding in her's. Tiffany would have taken her own car, but it was blocked in by her grandmother's and time was of the essence. The entire ride to the hospital was tense and worrisome. None wanted to say goodbye to the man who had been a part of their lives the most. They all feared the worst as they hurriedly parked their cars in the hospital's parking lot after a long 15-20 minute drive.

"Luckily, the attack wasn't as severe as it had appeared, so he should be okay within the next couple of days. We'll be keeping him here until then for surveillance." The doctor explained. At once, the three women's eyes were filled with tears, as they each felt a great weight life off of them.

" _Thank you, God."_ Jessie's mother thought as she silently folded her hands together.

"Is… is it possible to go in and see him?" Tiffany asked, wiping her eyes as they were wet.

"Unfortunately not." The doctor said, shaking his head 'no'. "He's currently resting and we want to keep a close watch on him for any sign of distress."

"Oh." Tiffany said, disappointed.

"You are free to visit him tomorrow, however." The doctor said, not wanting to leave the discussion on a sour note.

"We'll be sure to do so." Jessie's mother said. "Thank you very much."

"Of course." The doctor said, nodding his head as he turned and walked away, getting back to other business in the hospital.

For a while, the three women stood in the hospital hallway in silence, not knowing what to say or do. Eventually, the realized that standing around would do little good, so they silently and calmly walked out of the building to their cars. Both were parked next to each other, since they were all in such a rush to get here they didn't want to risk the chance of getting separated from each other.

"Tiffany," Jessie's mother said as she opened the door of her grandmother's car. "Ride with your mother."

The young college student stopped and looked at her grandmother, shock written on her face. Likewise, Jessie, herself, stopped and looked at her mother, wondering what she was doing.

"I need a bit of time to myself for a while…" The old woman said.

"But… Grandma…" Tiffany said, trying to argue.

"No 'buts', young lady." The old woman said, scowling. "Even I need some time to think by myself. And besides…"

She looked at her granddaughter before turning to her daughter, who was still standing by her car.

"The two of you need some serious time to talk to one another about your differences."

"There's nothing to talk about, Grandma." Tiffany said, scowling back at her Grandmother.

" _Yes_ , there is." The old woman said, speaking in a stern voice, which shocked both women present. "No matter how you may feel about your mother, Tiffany, she is still just that, your _mother_. I understand you needed time to sort out your feelings, but enough is enough. You haven't spoke to her since you left her house, which was approximately three years ago. I'd say that's more than enough time."

The old woman opened the door to her car, and got in the driver's seat, starting the car. She looked back at her granddaughter once more, before she prepared to drive out of the hospital's parking lot.

"I'm not saying you need to forgive her just this minute, dear. But you could at least give her a chance. She is obviously trying to make up for her mistakes."

With that, the old woman drove away, leaving her daughters standing there, a mixture of confusion, sadness and fear on their faces. Jessie looked at her daughter who was still staring at the spot where her grandmother's car had disappeared. The adult actress silently opened the driver's side door and got inside, starting her car.

"…Tiffany…" She called out. Her daughter must have heard her, as she silently walked to her mother's car and got into the passenger's side.

"…Drop me off at my friend's house." Tiffany said, not bothering to look at her mother, instead staring out the window. "I'll stay there until Grandma cools off."

"…Fine." Jessie said, sighing as she drove her car out of the parking lot. This day didn't turn out as well as she had hoped. She supposed it was too much to ask for her daughter to forgive her. Though they were still speaking to each other, it was obvious it was going to take a bit longer before their relationship got better…

 **A few days later…**

 **Christmas Eve, Maye Household- Evening**

"…Happy birthday to you;

Happy birthday to you;

Happy birthday, Tiffany…

Happy birthday to you!"

We all sung to Tiffany as we circled around her in her kitchen with a large birthday cake in the middle that had the numbers '2' and '1' in the middle. Kyu and I had arrived relatively early, since it was a long drive to her house, since she lived out of the city. I had almost forgotten what the outskirts of Glenberry looked like, since I hadn't left the city since I first arrived. I was a bit surprised to hear that Tiffany still lived at home with her parents, instead of in a dorm. But it was really none of my business, so I opted not to ask.

Cheers rung out as the birthday girl blew out the candles to her cake, which we then began feasting on. As I ate, I took notice of everyone at the party. Nikki and Audrey were there, which wasn't really a surprise since they were Tiffany's best friends. Though from the look on her face, I could tell Nikki wished she could hurry up and be somewhere else. I could only assume that Audrey had dragged her against her will again, which made me shake my head, sorrowfully.

Over in the corner, I could see Kyanna talking to both Beli and Ms. Yumi, which was a surprise since I hadn't expected my Algebra teacher to show up at one of her students' houses for a birthday party. Though from what little I knew about her, Ms. Yumi didn't seem to really care about what other people thought of her, which was a bit of a surprise since all teachers seemed to care about was their reputations or their careers. I observed the way she was talking to Kyanna and Beli and could get a sense that the three of them were all good friends with one another.

I smiled a bit as I bit into my piece of cake, happy with the atmosphere. If someone had told me I'd be attending a birthday party filled with girls, I'd have looked at them funny and probably called them 'crazy'. But now, here I was eating a slice of cake in a girl's kitchen on Christmas Eve. The thought, itself, made me chuckle a bit as I finished off my cake.

"Enjoying yourself?" Someone asked. I looked up at Tiffany, who was smiling at me as my mouth was full of cake. I put a finger up, asking her to 'wait' as I slowly chewed my pieces, swallowing what was left of my sugar pastry.

"Y-yeah, very much." I answered, unaware that there were still crumbs and such on my cheeks. The display made Tiffany laugh, which me made raise an eyebrow in confusion. It wasn't until she handed me a napkin that I realized what she was laughing at. I swiftly cleaned my face, a bit embarrassed at myself.

"Sorry about that." I said, rubbing the back of my head.

"You are such a dork." Tiffany complimented, making me blush.

"Sorry." I said, rubbing my head again.

"Don't be. It's one of the things that make you, you." I blinked as my cheeks became redder.

"Hey Tiffany," Audrey called walking up to us. "Let's hurry up with the gift exchange. Nikki's complaining, as usual."

"Yeah, alright." Tiffany said. She looked back at me, pulling me up from seat. "Come on, Charles!"

"Woah!" I exclaimed as I was pulled into the living room where everyone else had gathered. Eventually, we all began passing gifts around, as was the custom during the holidays. While some, like: Nikki, Tiffany, Beli and I were patient enough to wait till Christmas morning before opening our gifts, others like: Kyu, Audrey, Ms. Yumi and Kyanna were anxious to know what they got.

"Christmas is only a few hours away." I said, chastising Kyu. "I'm sure you can wait till then."

"Aww…" Kyu whined. "But I wanna know now!" I sighed, waving my hand at the love fairy.

"This better not be something lame I got." Audrey complained, shaking one of the boxes.

"Just be grateful it's not a lump of coal." Nikki whispered, as she rolled her eyes at her friend.

"I can't wait to bust this one open!" Kyanna said, smiling at the gifts she had received.

"Do try to wait until tomorrow, at least." Beli said, though she was also looking at her gifts, anxiously.

"I'll wait until I get home, but then its fair game!" Ms. Yumi exclaimed.

 **Outside Maye Household…**

"Sounds like they're having fun in there." A certain airline stewardess said as she sat in the driver's seat of her car.

"Yeah…" Her friend said, as she looked at the house with a sorrowful look.

"Jess…" She said, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Are you sure you're okay with this? You can just pop in to say 'hello'. I'll even sit outside for you, if you want."

"Lo, I already told you." Jessie said, still looking at the house. "What sense would it make to just burst into the house? It would just embarrass me _and_ her."

"But didn't you say your mom wanted you to check on her and her friends while she was at the hospital with your dad?" Lola asked, trying to reason with your friend.

"And that's exactly what we're doing." Jessie answered. "My little girl's no longer a girl, babe. She's a full-grown woman, and she's old enough to take care of herself."

"If you say so." Lola said, as she started the engine to her car.

"…Hold on." Jessie said, stopping her friend. She then opened the door to her car and walked out, heading for the front door to the house. At first, Lola was surprised as she thought her friend was actually going to enter the house. But instead, she looked as she took something out of her coat pocket and slipped in underneath the door mat. She then calmly walked back to the car.

"What was that?" Lola asked.

"…Just some pocket money, in case she ever needs it." The porn star answered. "Alright, I'm ready now."

"Alright." Lola said, starting the car again. She looked over at Jessie, who was still staring at the house. "Babe, don't fret, okay?"

"Huh?" Jessie said, looking back at her friend.

"I said, 'don't fret'." The airline stewardess repeated. "Things will get better. I know it."

"How do you know?" Jessie asked.

"Cause I just do. I've stuck around you long enough to know things always work out for the better."

"Thanks babe." Jessie said, finally cracking a smile.

"No problem." Lola answered, smiling back. "What do you say we have us a 'Girls' Night Out'?"

"I'm down with that!" Jessie answered.

"Good!" Lola responded as she started the car and drove away from the house.

 **Few hours later…**

 **Christmas Eve, Apartment- Nighttime**

"Well, that was a hell of a party, wouldn't you say so, champ?" Kyu said, as she stretched out her arms.

"Yeah, it was really nice." I answered, as I carried in both mine and Kyu's gifts, setting down by the small Christmas tree in the living room. As I did, I noticed Kyu looked at her gifts, an anxious expression on her face.

"Kyu…" I said, warning her.

"Come on, champ." Kyu whined. "Why can't we open just _one_?"

"With you, Kyu, one is never enough." I said, rolling my eyes. "And besides, there are only three more hours left until Christmas. Can't you wait until then?"

"But…" Kyu said, whining more.

I groaned as I walked upstairs to my room, heading for my closet. Looking around, I found a brown paper bag and picked it up, closing my closet door, afterwards. I then walked back downstairs and thrust the bag into Kyu's hands.

"What's this?" She asked.

"My Christmas gift to you." I answered. I then looked away, blushing. "And you'd better be grateful for it because you have no idea how embarrassing it was getting that thing."

Kyu cocked an eyebrow and opened the bag, looking inside. Her eyes grew round and wide as she pulled a large pink electrical dildo.

"Is this…" Kyu asked.

"I bought it an… adult shop." I answered, still blushing. "They were having a discount on it, for reas…"

I wasn't able to finish my sentence as Kyu suddenly hugged me.

"Thank you, champ!" She yelled, thanking me.

"You… you're welcome." I said, still blushing, though it was more from the fact that Kyu was hugging me than the fact that that… thing was close to me.

"Oh, this thing and I are going to be spending a lot of time together." She said, looking at the dildo, excited.

"Right…" I said, blushing. "Just try not to use it in my room or in my presence, okay?"

"I make no promises." Kyu said, as she kissed the thing on the tip. I fought the urge not to barf.

"Well…" I said, clearing my throat. "That will have to tide you over until morning. I'm going to my room."

"Hold on," Kyu called me back. "I have to give you _my_ gift now."

"Thank you, Kyu, back I can wait until morning."

"No, this is good." Kyu said, ignoring me. "She's been wanting to meet you, anyway."

"Wait, 'she'?" I repeated, confused.

"Yup. Be right back!" Kyu said, disappearing before my very eyes. I blinked, surprised.

"Weird fairy…" I said, as I turned around, prepared to go back upstairs.

"I'm back!" Kyu cried out, appearing again, making me turn around. I looked in awe, as she was holding a white and red box that looked large enough to carry a human. As if that was some sort of hint, the box also had holes, as if to give air to whatever was inside of it.

"Kyu… what is that?" I asked.

"It's your present, champ!" Kyu answered. "I met her a few days ago, and she's been eager to meet you."

"You keep saying 'her' and 'she'." I stated, looking at the box. My eyes grew big and wide as I realized something.

"Kyu," I said, looking at her. "You didn't kidnap a girl or something, did you?"

"What? Of course not!" Kyu shouted, upset.

"Alright, alright. Sorry." I said, apologizing. "It's just… this box looks big enough for a human to get in.

"Well, she's not exactly a human." Kyu explained, making me look at her, confused. "Look, it's complicated, okay? Just open the box. It'll explain everything."

I blinked at her, before looking back at the box. I grimaced as I wondered what was inside. Untying the ribbon, I took the lid off the box and my eyes grew big and wide, and my mouth fell open.

"Isn't she cute?!" Kyu asked, smiling a successful smile. "I found her while I was wondering the park the other day, and she said she's been looking for someone to take care of her."

I didn't hear any of what Kyu said, as my mind was still trying to comprehend just what I was staring at it. Inside of the box was what looked like a pale young girl, sleeping. She had short red hair that didn't go any further than her shoulders. She had thick legs with a curvy waist. She had a black collar with a bell around her neck, and was wearing what looked to be a blue kimono with a flower pattern on it. And on her feet were a pair of white socks and brown sandals that Japanese often wore. Her entire attire was strange, to be honest. But that didn't come close to the fact that on top of the girl's head was a pair of black and white cat ears. And if that wasn't enough, coming out of her backside, was a black and white cat tail.

"…Kyu…" I said, trying to restrain myself before I lost it. "…Who or what is this?"

"Weren't you listening, champ?" Kyu asked, still smiling. "This is your new 'kitten'."

"A… kitten?" I repeated, still trying to remain calm.

"That's right!" Kyu exclaimed. The noise must have awoken the young girl as she moaned and stretched in her box, sitting upward, rubbing her golden eyes, which looked a bit like a cat's. She looked around, sleepily until she realized that she was not in the place she was in last. Her eyes spotted Kyu, who was still smiling.

"Hey Kitten!" Kyu said, rubbing her head.

"…Kyu?" The 'kitten' said, before looking around again. "…Where is Momo?"

" _Momo?"_ I thought.

"This is your new home, Kitten." Kyu explained, picking her up and setting her on the ground. "This is where you'll be living from now on."

"…W-wait, w-what?" I questioned.

"And…" Kyu said, picking 'Momo' up again and turning her around to face me. "…This guy is your new 'Master'."

"H-huh?"

"This is… Momo's master?" She asked.

"Yup!" Kyu answered. The kitten looked at me, for a brief moment, before smiling and pouncing on me.

"Yay! Momo finally has a master!"

…

…

…

 **"…HUH?!"**

* * *

 **And that concludes the Christmas Special. I told you all there would be a surprise at the end, and it was a surprise! The introduction of Momo was a well-thought out idea, if I do say so myself. As I stated in the beginning, if you liked this chapter, then thank my sister, not me. Up until the hospital part, that was all her. And if I may say it plainly, she did a real good job and I'm proud of her.**

If you're all wondering about Charles's date with Nikki, I can assure that it is in the works and (Lord say the same), it will be uploaded in a couple of weeks. I should have some free time since school is almost out. I'll still be busy, but far less than I was before, I hope. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Until next time!

P.S. The hospital part was put in at the last minute if you were wondering. It was based off of my friend, whose granddad had to be put in the hospital due to cancer. Luckily, he's making a full recovery.


	12. The Date with the Recluse

**Well, after a long and tireless journey, I've finally managed to finish this chapter, despite the many drawbacks I had to deal with. I apologize dearly for how long and how late this chapter took to put out. I started writing it in April, but it took me at least four months to finish it. No matter how you slice, that is not good in the least. Anyway, I hope this chapter is worth it. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wednesday, En Route to Café- Afternoon**

I felt my heart beat hard against my chest as anxiety was slowly, but surely forming within me. This was the first time in a long time I had actually been on a real date, if you could count all the times I've been somewhere with a girl a date. I furrowed my brow as I thought of all of the females I had met in the past few days and the locations I had met them at.

" _I mean, I was alone talking with a girl, so I guess those could have been dates, maybe?"_ I thought.

" _But wait, I didn't necessary invite any of them anywhere, so they weren't dates, right? Yeah, I just met them and spoke to them, so those don't count. But since when does inviting someone somewhere have to do with dating?"_

I continued debating with myself over the pros and cons of dating until I felt my brain heat up from overload.

"Argh!" I groaned out loud, completely unaware of my surroundings as I was in the middle of the street. "Why am I squabbling with myself over this?! It's just a date! That's it! Nothing more, nothing less!"

I heavily breathed in and out as I tried to get some air back in my lungs from my imaginary debate with my 'inner self'. Apparently, I forgot where I was since I realized that just about everybody present on the street was staring at me and whispering to their friends. I felt my cheeks grow red as I quickly vacated, fleeing further down the street whilst trying to hide my face.

" _Okay, that was embarrassing."_ I thought as I tried to catch my breath from running a block or so. I looked around as I realized that I was nearing the café. I inhaled some air once more, before continuing my nerve-racking journey.

" _I really hope Kyu is actually making an effort to clean my apartment and isn't just lollygagging around again."_ I thought as I imagined what Kyu might be doing right now after I had called to inform her of my current situation.

 ***Flashback***

 **Wednesday, University Campus- Afternoon**

"Okay Charles, slow down and think," I told myself since I now had, not one, but two dates today since Tiffany had just decided that we were going to have a study session this evening without even bothering to wait for my answer. I walked back and forth in a circle, trying to think of a way out of this mess.

"Maybe I could just tell her or Nikki that I don't have time today? That something else came up?" I asked, but shook my head no.

"No, then one of them would just wonder what it is that's so important that I had to cancel. And I can't do that to them." I said, before groaning.

"Argh! What I am going to do?!" I yelled out, as I sat down on the steps leading up to the campus. I sighed and buried my head in my hands.

"Wait a minute…" I said raising my head as a certain love fairy popped into my head.

"That's it! Kyu can figure a way out of this!" I said, as I quickly pulled out my cell phone. I quickly dialed the number to the love fairy's cell phone.

"Come on, come on…" I muttered as I heard the dial tone a couple of times before I heard someone pick up the phone.

"Talk to me," Kyu said on the other end. I fought the urge to roll my eyes since that's not normally how most people would answer the phone. But then again, this was Kyu we were talking about here, so… yeah.

"Hey, Kyu?" I said, speaking into the other end.

"What's up, playa?" Kyu asked, making me sigh as I pinched the bridge between my eyes.

"Kyu, I asked you before to please not call me that."

"Why? I think it suits you, don't you think?" She asked.

"No, I don't," I answered, sighing.

"Fine, fine. What's up, champ?" She asked, straining the word 'champ', making me roll my eyes again.

"Well, I…" I started before Kyu cut me off.

"Wait, aren't you supposed to be getting ready for your date with Nikki?"

"I am! It's just… well, I need your help with something." I explained.

"Help, huh?" Kyu said, and I could imagine that she was smirking as she said that. "So, you finally admit that you need some dating tips from the master, huh?"

"No! Look, just listen, will ya…?" I said as I explained my situation with both Nikki and Tiffany.

"Wow," Kyu said after I finished explaining. "Two dates in one day? Good on ya, playa! You're progressing better than I thought you'd be."

"Okay, one: I've told you before to please stop calling me that. I do not like the term 'playa', 'playboy', 'mega-playboy' or any other sort of term that coincides with that." I said, scowling.

"And two: me having two dates is not something to be proud of. I told you before, Kyu, I have no interest in being one of those obnoxious guys who have tons of girls swooning over him. That's not who I am, and that's not who I plan on becoming."

"All evidence to the contrary," Kyu said, smirking.

"Can we please just drop this and get back on topic?" I said as I rubbed my forehead, trying to alleviate the headache that was appearing.

"Look, I just need you to clean up the house a bit, and try to make my room not look how you usually keep it," I said, rolling my eyes

"Hey! I'll have you know I'm the tidiest love fairy there is." Kyu said, arguing.

"Then why do I constantly keep finding adult magazines scattered all over the apartment?" I asked, frowning.

"Cause those are essential to any sort of living arrangement, champ! Plus, I leave them there so I know where they are whenever I need them."

I opened my mouth to retort, but then just sighed and rubbed my forehead, once more.

"Look, I'm…I'm not getting into this conversation, especially not out here in the open where people can hear me," I said, exhausted.

"Just do me a favor and clean up the house, will ya? And whatever you do, please try to keep Momo out of sight. I'd rather not explain to anybody why I have a human-sized catgirl living in my apartment."

"Don't worry, champ!" Kyu spoke, loudly. "I'll make sure everything is spic and span. If anything ruins your chances of getting laid tonight, it won't be the state of your house!"

My eyes grew big and wide as I just comprehended the words that my love fairy associate just spoke to me. Again, I opened my mouth to retort, but instead simply shook my head and hit the big red 'End' button on my phone, ending the call. I shook my head and looked up at the sky, still exhausted.

"Of all the love fairies there are in the world, _why_ did you have to send me _this_ one?" I asked, speaking to no one in particular as I began walking to the café.

 ***End Flashback***

I shook my head as I returned my daydream and looked as I was right in front of the Nutmeg Café. Blinking in both surprise and confusion, I shrugged to myself as I opened the doors of the building, walking in.

 **Wednesday, Nutmeg Café- Afternoon**

I looked as the café wasn't completely empty, but wasn't very full either. Considering it was close to 1:00 P.M., most of the customers must have been here for lunch or a late breakfast. I walked inside and was headed for the counter until I heard someone calling my name.

"Hey Charles!"

Turning towards the voice, I looked and saw, sitting in one of the booths near the windows of the café, a familiar airline stewardess.

"Lola?" I said, approaching her booth.

"Hey you!" Lola said, smiling as she waved at me. "I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yeah, same here," I said, smiling at her. "I've sorta been busy. Life tends to get in the way a lot."

"Oh, I know exactly what you mean, sweetie," Lola said, taking a sip of her coffee. "As an airline stewardess, the words 'free time' don't exactly exist in my vocabulary."

"Really?" I asked.

"Really." She confirmed. "If you want a job where you don't have to work bad hours and be on a plane with a bunch of crying children and pervy passengers, I'd advise not becoming a steward."

"Wow, is it that bad?"

"Not really. I'm making it sound worse than what it really is. It has its perks, but not many." Lola said, taking another sip of her coffee.

"So, why are you one?" I asked, confused.

"For the challenge, mainly." Lola answered. "I love challenges or things that most people find difficult. It motivates me, makes me want to succeed where they failed."

"And… being a flight attendant is a challenge?" I asked, still not understanding.

"Have _you_ ever been a servant on a 15-hour flight with a bunch of annoying passengers?"

"…No."

"Then you can see why I do it," Lola said, laughing as she took another sip of her coffee.

"Have you ever thought about quitting?" I asked.

"At times." She answered. "I've never gone through with it though."

"How come?"

"Cause I hate quitting." Lola answered, a serious expression on her face. "Quitting, to me, is the equivalent of 'giving up' and I hate giving up. It basically says that 'you're stronger or better than me', and I dislike the idea that someone is better than me. If they have something that I don't, then I work to obtain it."

"…Wow." I said, and that was pretty much all I could say as I listened to the mature woman speak. "I almost envy you a bit. I wish I had your drive."

"Oh, this isn't drive, honey." Lola said, chuckling a bit. "This is how I've always been, even when I was a little girl. I've always hated admitting that anything is better than me. It's one of the problems of being a sore loser."

"You're a sore loser?" I asked, a bit surprised.

"You've never seen me lose a game of tennis before, so you wouldn't know."

The two of us shared a laugh at that, and continued talking for about 20 more minutes until Lola announced she had to leave.

"Sorry hun," She said, standing up from her seat and leaving some money on the table. "Duty calls, unfortunately."

"It's fine," I said. "It was nice talking to you."

"And you as well, hun." She said, winking. "See you next time!"

"See you!" I said, as I waved 'bye' to the older woman as she walked out of the café and towards the parking lot where her car was.

" _She sure is a driven woman."_ I thought, looking out the window as she started up her car and drove away.

"Charles?"

I turned to look as someone was calling me, and I looked to see it a certain blue-haired reclusive girl, standing behind the counter.

" _Oh crap!"_ I thought, as I mentally hit myself. _"I forgot about Nikki!"_

I swiftly got up from the booth I was sitting in with Lola, stumbling over my two feet as I raced to the counter.

"H-Hey N-Nikki…" I said, trying to get my breath back in my lungs. I looked up at her, smiling, whilst sweating a bit.

"Uhh… are you okay?" She asked, looking at me, strangely.

"Yeah! Yeah, I'm uhh… fine." I said, rubbing the back of my head, awkwardly.

"…Okay then." Nikki said, though she was still staring at me. As I looked at her, my eyes grew a bit wider, as I noticed she had changed her appearance up a bit. She had changed her hairstyle to where her hair was in two short braided ponytails that went down to her chest. As for her attire, she ditched her gray sweater and white shorts for a white dress shirt and a khaki vest with a blue short skirt and some tennis shoes. It almost looked a bit like a school uniform.

"Wow, you look… nice." I said, blinking as I didn't really expect someone like Nikki to get dressed up.

"Huh?" Nikki said, until she looked down at herself. "Oh. …I just didn't feel like wearing my sweater. And since we were going out, I felt like I should, at least, make an effort to look nice."

"Well, you really do look nice." I said, smiling.

"Thanks, I guess." Nikki said, shrugging, though a small smile was present on her face before vanishing. "So, are we going on a date now or what?"

"Oh, uhh… sure." I said as I waited for Nikki to cross the counter before leading her out of the café.

" _I really hope I don't screw this up somehow…"_

 **Wednesday, Apartment- Afternoon**

"Woo! Finally done!"

Kyu smiled to herself with her hands on her hips as she looked at the living room, which looked like as it usually did.

"What do you think, Momo?" Kyu asked her feline companion, who was standing beside her, cocking her head in confusion.

"Uhm…" Momo said, still looking confused.

"Yup, I couldn't have cleaned this room any better if I tried!" Kyu said, laughing haughtily.

"Uhm… Momo's confused…" Momo said, looking at Kyu. "Doesn't the room still look the same?"

"It may seem that way, Momo." Kyu said, rubbing the catgirl's head. "But look over there!"

The love fairy pointed to a corner of the room, which had been vacuumed and cleaned. A pile of books and magazines were neatly organized and laid out in a tower.

"I cleaned that general area of the room ever there, which means I 'cleaned' this room!" Kyu said as she resumed laughing.

"Ohh!" Momo said, suddenly understanding. She smiled, before clapping her hands together, happily.

"Now, what say we clean the rest of the rooms, huh Momo?" Kyu asked, still rubbing the catgirl's head.

"Yes! Momo will clean all the rooms for Master!"

 **Wednesday, Dawnwood Park- Afternoon**

I shivered as I felt goosebumps appear on my skin for some unknown reason. I subconsciously rubbed my arms together as I suddenly felt really cold.

"Are you okay?" Nikki asked as she sat beside on the park bench we were both sitting on.

"I'm fine," I answered, still rubbing my arms. "I just got a feeling something bad is happening somewhere, right now."

"Meh, I've learned to ignore feelings like that." Nikki said as she took a bite out of her chocolate ice cream bar. "If I had to worry about bad feelings or foreshadows all the time, I'd never get anything done."

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Nikki answered. "I know you must think it's odd since I believe in the spirits and stuff, but not all things have to do with the paranormal. Sometimes it's just your mind playing tricks on you."

"You don't think it's your brain or your subconscious trying to warn you about something?" I asked.

"Possibly, but like I said, more often than not, it's just your mind playing tricks on you."

"I see." I said as I took a bite out of my ice cream sandwich. After leaving the café, I expressed an interest in getting something to eat, seeing as how I hadn't eaten anything all day. Nikki claimed she didn't care, but seeing as how she didn't refuse the ice cream bar I had bought her from the park vendor, it was obvious that she was hungrier than she let on. Either that or she just really liked sweets.

For a while, the two of us just sat on the bench together, silently eating as an awkward silence took over. Well, maybe it was awkward for me. I get the feeling Nikki didn't care, either way.

"So, was there anything you wanted to talk about?" I asked, trying to make some light conversation.

"…Why?" Nikki asked, looking at me, strangely.

"I don't know." I said, as I rubbed the back of my head, whilst shrugging my shoulders. "Don't people talk to each other when they're on dates and stuff?"

"I wouldn't know. I've never been on a date." She answered.

"Really?" I asked, surprised.

"Really."

"Wow," I said, still slightly surprised. "…Don't take this the wrong way or anything, but I find that a bit hard to believe."

"What do you mean?" Nikki asked, looking at me with a suspicious look on her face.

"Like I said, don't take it the wrong way. It's just… you're an attractive woman so I figured you must have been asked out a least once or twice." I explained. "Either during school or at work or something."

"Beauty is subjective, Charles." Nikki said, as she looked me straight in the eyes. "What one considers attractive, someone else might not."

"You don't think that you're attractive?" I asked, frowning.

"What I think of myself is irrelevant." Nikki explained. "I could think I'm the most beautiful person in the world, but there will always be someone else who disagrees with me."

"You don't really strike me as the person who cares what people thinks. Whether it's about you or anything else."

"I'm not." Nikki said, looking out into the park as people passed by in front of us. "I'm just explaining how the world works. If I had to worry about what people thought of me, how would I ever get anything done?"

"…I see." I said, as my brain tried to process everything Nikki was saying and whether or not she actually believed any of it.

"But to answer your question, I'd like to think I'm fairly attractive, but not more so than anyone else." Nikki answered. "Dating never really appealed to me before. When I was in school, I just wanted to hurry up and get it over with. Boys and such didn't appeal to me."

"That kinda sounds like me." I said as nostalgia washed over me. "I wasn't really interested in dating either. I mean, I thought about it a couple of times, but really, I was too focused on passing my classes and getting by to focus on girls."

"Really?" Nikki asked, looking a bit surprised.

"Yeah." I said, laughing a bit as I rubbed the back of my head, embarrassed. "Guess that makes us one and the same, huh?"

"…Ice cream."

"Huh?" I responded, confused.

"It's melting." Nikki said, pointing at my hand. I looked down to see my sandwich dripping off the wrapper onto the pavement. I let out a short gasp as I swiftly began eating the gooey snack, making a mess on my hands.

"Great. Now my hands are sticky." I said, complaining as I looked around for a water fountain or something to wash my hands off with. Luckily, there was one close by and no one else was waiting to use it, so I quickly doused my hands in it getting rid of any sticky residue. Unfortunately, that left my hands soaking wet, and I didn't have a towel or anything to clean them off with. Sighing at my stupidity, I walked back to Nikki, who was patiently waiting for me on the bench, looking at me.

"Sorry about that." I said, waving my hands, trying to get water off of them.

"It's fine." Nikki said, standing up from the bench. "So, where are we heading next?"

"Well…" I said, as I scratched the back of my head, trying to think of a good place that Nikki may like.

"…How about the arcade?" I said, naming the first place that came to my mind.

"The arcade?" Nikki repeated. "You mean The Ace-Zone?"

"Yeah. You've been there?"

"More times than I can count." Nikki said. "My friend that works there says it's like my 'second home' or something."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Oh." I said, a bit upset that my brilliant plan had been shot down. "Well, I guess we can always go somewhere else."

"No, it's fine." Nikki said, shrugging. "I'd rather go somewhere I'm familiar with than somewhere new."

"Oh, okay then." I said, a bit relieved since I hadn't really thought of anywhere else to go. "Well, ready to go then?"

"Yeah." Nikki answered, already heading for the entrance to the park.

"Cool." I said, smiling to myself as I followed behind her.

 **Wednesday, The Arcade- Afternoon**

"Well…" I said, standing at the entrance to the amusement center with Nikki standing by my side. "…here we are."

"Yeah." Nikki said, stepping through the front doors into the noise-filled center. I followed behind her and felt my feet step off of the hard concrete street into the carpet-filled establishment as bright lights flew around me, along with various noises and sounds. There were kids of all ages either talking to one another or playing on the numerous machines that were present throughout the facility. My eyes grew big as I took in each and every corner of the place that was in my view at the moment.

"Wow," I said, letting a sound of wonder escape from my lips. "This place is not how I remembered it."

"They've changed this place around numerous times." Nikki said, walking to the service desk in the front of the arcade. "There's never been a time when I've been here and they haven't changed something around, taking out a new arcade machine and swapping in another."

"I see." I said, following behind my blue-haired date to the desk where a dark-skinned attendant was handing out prizes to little kids in exchange for tickets.

"Here's your prize. Enjoy!" She said, handing out a large pink teddy bear to a little girl who hastily took it before running off. The attendant sighed before looking up at Nikki and me, smiling.

"Nikki!" She said, with much enthusiasm.

"Hey Zoey." Nikki said, holding her hand up, greeting the woman.

I took a good look at the girl, and my eyes grew big as I examined her. Her look was certainly, for lack of a better word, "unique". She had a pear-shaped body with small-sized breasts. Her eyes were… interesting, as one was blue and the other was red. I didn't know if they were contacts, or if she just had heterochromia. To compliment her eyes, she also had on some bright white eyeshadow, with matching lipstick. She had cyan-colored pigtails with the front part of her hair parted to the right with two white barrettes. She also had some black and white extensions, along with a pair of orange goggles on the top of her head. What they were for, I didn't know.

On the subject of her attire, she seemed to like bright colors as her dress seemed to include almost every color of the rainbow. She had on a bright yellow tank top with a purple tutu that was covered by a bright green corset. She had on a pair of cyan-colored gloves that were fingerless with ripped blue armbands on top. Finally, she had on a red choker necklace around her neck with an orange mirror pendant with a bow attached to it, and black gauges in her ears.

"It's rare to see you here on weekdays, Nikki." Zoey said, smiling. "What's up? You somehow manage to get a day off?"

"No, I have to work later on." Nikki explained. "I'm just here for a couple of hours with a friend."

Zoey looked as Nikki pointed at me, and her eyes grew wide in surprise.

"Wow," Zoey said, still staring at me. "I'm shocked."

"About what?" Nikki asked, suspiciously.

"About you." Zoey answered. "I'd never thought I'd see the day when the lone wolf, Nikki, would actually bring someone with her to the arcade. And a guy, no less! I'll have to be sure to mark this day on my calendar."

"Yes, you're a real comedian." Nikki said, scowling at her friend, and fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

"Thanks! I try." Zoey said, ignoring the obvious sarcasm in her friend's voice. She then looked at me, still smiling. "Hi, the name's Zoey!"

"Uhh… hi." I said, greeting her. "I'm Charles."

"Nice to meet you!" She exclaimed. "So tell me, how did you get Nikki to agree to go on a date with you?"

"Huh?" I said, confused. "Uhhh…"

"Oh, it's no biggie if you don't want me to know. I'd just like to know what I'd have to do to get Nikki here out of her cave is all."

"Look Zoey, it was nothing special, alright?" Nikki said, agitated, though her cheeks were a bit red. "He asked me out, I said 'yes'. Simple as that." I looked as she reached into her pocket and pulled a $5 bill.

"Now, can you please stop asking questions and just give us tokens like your job requires you to?"

"Okay, okay!" Zoey said, holding her hands out in front of her as she cautiously took the bill out of her friend's hand. "Sheesh, excuse me for trying to get to know you better."

The both of us looked as Zoey swiftly went behind the desk, pulling out a multitude of coins in exchange for the dollar bill and laying them on the counter for Nikki to take. The shy girl snatched them and stomped away, her cheeks still red.

"That girl really doesn't take teasing well." Zoey said, sighing before looking at me. "Anyway, I'm glad she's found someone to come with her. She's always so distant that no one ever approaches her."

"I can believe that." I said, remembering my first encounter with her at the club.

"Make sure you treat her right, got it?" Zoey commanded, looking at me seriously.

"W-will do." I said, stuttering.

"Charles!" Nikki called out to me, forcing me to cease my conversation and swiftly walk over to her.

"Sorry." I said, scratching the back of my head as Nikki was scowling, not so much at me, but at Zoey, who was still smiling at us from the service desk.

"Was she saying something about me?" Nikki asked.

"Uhh…"I said, though that was all Nikki needed to hear to draw a conclusion.

"I knew it." Nikki said, shaking her head, agitated. "Look, just ignore most of what she says, all right?"

"How come?"

"Zoey's a good friend, but she has a bad habit of putting her nose in other people's business. She's worse than Audrey in that regard."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Nikki answered. "She means well, but just don't pay too much attention to her when she talks, okay?"

"Y-yeah." I said, scratching the back of my neck.

"Anyway," Nikki said, sighing. "Let's hurry up and start playing before we have to leave."

"R-right." I said, as I looked around at all of the machines, some of which were currently being used and others weren't. "Any game you'd recommend?"

"…Follow me." Nikki said, walking toward a machine that was near the center of the arcade. I looked as it was colored with numerous displays of red and gold. I looked at the side of the machine, and my eyebrows rose a bit at the name.

" _Street Combat_?" I asked out loud, a bit surprised.

"It's not my type of game, but I can't stop playing it until I get the high score." Nikki explained. "I played it one day when someone else was using a machine for a game I wanted to play, and I've been hooked since. At least, until I can finally beat it."

"What kind of game is it?"

"It's just a normal fighting game, but it does have a side-scroller game that I like playing." Nikki said, slipping a token in the machine as the start screen appeared. I followed after, slipping a token in the second slot as the characters' screen appeared, showing a wide variety of fighting characters.

"So, which character should I pick?" I asked.

"Anyone is fine." Nikki answered, as she already picked someone, and was waiting for me. I shrugged as I picked a random fighter, not knowing if I was any good with him or not. I looked as the 'loading screen' ended and both Nikki and I's characters appeared on the screen. I mentally prepared myself as the timer on the game started and the announcer shouted 'Fight!'.

 **Three minutes later…**

I frowned as my character laid defeated, while Nikki's stood victorious.

"Darn, I lost." I said, still frowning.

"Yeah, but don't feel bad." Nikki said, a small smile on her face. "This is your first time playing this. I've played about a hundred times now. Plus, the guy you were playing with is a bit hard to control. You should pick an easier character next time."

"Can we play again?" I asked.

"Sure." Nikki said, shrugging as she inserted another token in, with me doing the same thing. Following the shy girl's advice, I decided to pick a character I thought would be a good fit for me. I hovered over a character and looked at Nikki for confirmation. A short nod was all I received, which was more than enough for me.

 **Three minutes later again…**

"Argh!" I groaned out as the battle had ended. "I lost again."

"Yeah." Nikki said, clenching her left fist.

"I don't get it. I always thought I was good at video games, especially fighting games."

"Really?" Nikki asked.

"Yeah, that was all I played when I was younger. I played against my dad and my younger brother all the time." I explained. "Guess it's been a while."

"Well, don't feel bad." Nikki said. "Like I said, I've been playing this game for a while now. You'll get better once you've practiced more."

"Yeah, you're right." I said. "So, any other games you recommend?"

"Yeah, there's one right over here." Nikki said, leading me to another game in the arcade. Our date continued on as such, with Nikki showing me new and exciting games, whilst also showing me the ropes. We continued enjoying ourselves until it came time for the both of us to leave.

 **Two hours later…**

"Man, where did all the time go?" I asked, out loud as Nikki stood outside the entrance to the arcade. I looked as the sky was a crimson red, with the sun slowly starting to disappear below the horizon.

"I ask myself that every time I leave the arcade." Nikki answered. "Coming here alone is nice, but it was interesting to have someone else here with me."

"So, does that mean you'd like to do it again some other time?" I asked, a bit hopeful.

"Yeah, I think I'd like that." Nikki said, a small smile on her face.

"Great!" I exclaimed. "We'll have to schedule a time and place then."

"Yeah, give me a call tonight when my shift ends, and we'll talk."

"Will do." I said, nodding, before what she said resonated in my head. "Oh, that's right! You have to be back for work, right? Want me to walk with you?"

"Thanks, but its fine. I've walked from the arcade to the café, plenty of times. I always manage to get there on time." Nikki explained.

"Oh, are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, it's fine. I don't want to inconvenience you." Nikki answered, shaking her head. "But thanks."

"No problem."

"Well, I gotta get going." The shy girl said, as she turned around. "Have a good night, Charles."

"You too. Later!" I said, waving 'bye' as I watched my friend walk slowly down the street, before she turned a corner, disappearing from my sight. I sighed, a bit upset that I couldn't spend more time with her, but a bit happy that the date went relatively well. I stood there, smiling to myself until I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. Looking at it, I rolled my eyes as the number belonged to a certain love fairy.

"Hello?" I answered.

"Champ, where are you?!" Kyu yelled into the phone, making me pull it away.

"Kyu, what did we say about 'inside voices'?" I asked, a bit peeved.

"Screw your 'inside voices', Champ!" Kyu yelled, not paying any attention to what I had just said. "Did you forget that you have a study date with Tiffany in twenty minutes?!"

…

…

" **OH CRAP!"**

* * *

 **And that's the ending for now! Sorry, if the ending was a little dull. I had planned on putting Tiffany's part in here, but seeing as how late it was getting. I decided to cut that part short and save it for the next chapter. Really, this entire chapter was supposed to be longer, but as stated, time was running short. I had to deal with a lot of stuff between here and April when I last posted a chapter. I suffered a short stage of depression, due to family problems. My laptop died on me, forcing me to buy a new one (even though it works a hell of a lot better than the old one). I lost my job due in part to my own stupidity and the stupidity of others, and I had to put my work on hold until I found a new job (which I did, thankfully), and someone bought the apartment that I had my eye on for a while now, so I'm still living at home with my parents.**

 **So, needless to say, it was a rough ride. But none of that matters. Things are looking relatively nice again, and I'm doing better, which is good.**

 **For those of you that are a bit upset that there haven't been on 'Mature' scenes in the story yet, the good news is that the next chapter may or may not feature one of those. The bad news is that I'm not sure when it will be uploaded, since life has a bad habit of getting in the way. But when the time comes, it will be uploaded. I hope you all be patient with me, and I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Feel free to review or comment. Until next time!**

 **P.S. If there are some grammar issues that you've spotted, I apologize for them. I recently downloaded this app called 'Grammarly', and needless to say, it is completely f'ing up my work with its need to point out errors, such as commas and periods and such.**


	13. Study Date

**Well, it's been an awfully long time since I updated, hasn't it? I know 'sorry' seems meaningless, considering how long it's been. I honestly planned on having this chapter out last year, but as with all things, life got in the way. Then I told myself I'd have done three months prior, but again, life. So, I won't waste time apologizing, since I know you all eager to get reading. So, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Wednesday, En Route to Apartment Building- Evening**

I ran as fast my legs would run, ignoring the water coming down my face, and the continuous beating of my overworked heart. Even as I ran, I did my best to avoid running into people, not that there were many out, which was a surprise. I didn't really have time to think about that right now though, as I was swiftly making my way back home to my apartment. Luckily, the arcade was in a part of Glenberry that I was familiar with, so getting home wouldn't take me too much time. …I hoped.

I continued running and panting all the way to my apartment complex and up the stairs where my apartment was. It wasn't until I had finally reached my door did I stop and take a large breath of air.

" _Man…"_ I thought, wiping the sweat off my forehead with the back of my head. _"…I think I just lost five pounds in a span of…"_

I looked at the watch on my wrist as it read 5:50 P.M.

"…10 minutes." I sighed, as I patted my pockets, feeling around for my house key. I sighed again as I walked inside and was greeted with a blast of cool air from the A/C, which was very much appreciated.

"I'm home." I said, to no one in particular, though Kyu must have heard me as she came from the second story to greet me.

"Hey Champ." Kyu said, before taking a good look at me. "Wow, you look exhausted."

"Yeah, well you would be too if you just ran for 10 whole minutes." I said, still panting.

"You ran all the way back to your apartment?" Kyu asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well yeah. How else was I supposed to get back home?" I answered. "I don't exactly have a form of transportation, at the moment."

"Why didn't you just ask me to teleport you?"

…

…

"…What?" I asked.

"Did you forget I'm a love fairy who is blessed with awesome powers?" Kyu said, smiling as she complimented herself. "I could have easily teleported you here in a heartbeat, ya' know."

"…Why didn't you mention that earlier?" I asked, trying my hardest to contain the rage that was slowly building up inside me.

"Well, you didn't exactly ask." Kyu answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

For a long while, I tried my hardest to keep from reaching out and strangling this girl as my left eye twitched wildly. At the end, however, I simply sighed and looked back at the love fairy, exhausted.

"I'm not going to get into this," I said, shaking my head. "Just, in the future, please tell me these sort of things ahead of time. It would save us both some trouble."

"Will do, champ." Kyu said. I shook my head and waved her off. I was about to resume my way to the bathroom to wash up, but stopped as I realized something.

"What's wrong now?" Kyu asked, as if preparing for me to berate her on something.

I ignored her and continued looking around the room. After a moment or so, I slowly nodded my head.

"You actually did a good job of cleaning this place up." I said, turning my head around to look at her. "Nice work."

"Thanks champ!" Kyu said, showing her teeth as she smiled. "I mainly handled the downstairs, but Momo took care of your room."

"…My room?" I said, repeating her last words, as if I didn't quite hear her clearly.

"Yup! I heard a lot of strange noises coming from it, but I figured it was just her moving a lot of stuff."

I stared at Kyu for a few more seconds before turning around and racing quickly upstairs to where my room was located. I looked as the door was closed, and I hesitated to open it.

" _Please don't let her have messed up my stuff too badly…"_ I thought, as I reached for the knob, turning it.

My eyes were shut tight before I cautiously opened them. They grew big and wide as I saw a small, petite catgirl curled up on my bed asleep, whilst clutching onto one of my pillows. I subconsciously blinked a few times as I stared at her as she silently breathed in and out.

" _She looks really cute…"_ I thought as I walked up to her. I reached out and petted her head, making her smile in her sleep, which made me smile a bit too.

"Aww, so cute!" I heard someone from behind say, making me jump a bit. I recognized immediately that it was the voice of a certain love fairy.

"She's started to grow on you, hasn't she, champ?" Kyu asked as she leaned her head on my shoulder, watching me pet the little catgirl.

"Yeah, I guess so." I said, still smiling. "She's like the little sister I never had."

"Well, I'm glad!" Kyu said, smiling. "I knew I made the right choice when I brought her here."

"Yeah well, don't let it go to your head." I said, rolling my eyes at the love fairy.

"Yeah, yeah." Kyu said, waving me off. "Anyway, shouldn't you be getting ready for your date?"

"Oh yeah!" I exclaimed, almost forgetting about it. I hastily grabbed my bath towel and some clothes to put on after my shower.

"Hey wait!" Kyu called out to me as I was rushing out of the room. "What about Momo?"

I looked back at the catgirl, who was still soundly sleeping.

"What about her?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, you can't just leave her here, can you? What's Tiffany going to think?" Kyu asked, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, which it kinda was.

"Oh yeah." I said, slapping my forehead as I walked over to the catgirl. I was prepared to rouse her awake, but stopped as she suddenly yawned in her sleep, still clutching tightly to the pillow she was holding onto. I frowned and put my hand down, looking back at Kyu.

"I really don't want to wake her up, especially when she's cute and quiet like this." I said. "Can't you just, I don't know, use your fairy magic to make her… invisible or something?"

"Invisible?" Kyu repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know, just make her invisible to others, but she's still here… or something, like that."

"Hmm…" Kyu said, resting her head on her fist, as she was thinking. After a moment or so, she looked up, as if a lightbulb went off in her head.

"I know!" She exclaimed.

"What?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. My eyes grew wide as I looked at Kyu's hands, which were suddenly glowing white as, what looked like, an orb of pure energy appeared in them.

"A little bit of fairy magic, and…" Kyu said, smiling as she walked over to Momo, who was somehow still asleep.

"…Tada!"

I looked as the love fairy dropped the orb she was holding onto the sleeping catgirl. I didn't have time to see what was happening as the room suddenly got brighter, temporarily blinding me. I instinctively covered my eyes. After a moment or two, the light died down and I reopened my eyes, blinking a few times, trying to get my vision back.

"What the heck was that?!" I said, still blinking. I looked as the light vanished and in its place was a small, tannish kitten with brown stripes on its body.

"…Is that…?" I asked Kyu, as my eyes grew a bit.

"Yup! That's Momo." Kyu answered, smiling. "Isn't she cute?! I couldn't make her "invisible", so I though transforming her into an adorable, little kitten was the next best thing."

I blinked in response, looking at the feline, who, surprisingly, was still fast asleep, despite all the noise.

"Is… is she stuck like that?"

"No, the transformation is only temporary. She'll only be like that for the next three hours." Kyu explained.

"Three hours?" I repeated.

"Yeah. That was the best I could do." Kyu said, shrugging her shoulders. "So, you have some time, but try to keep an eye on the time, okay?"

"Got it." I said, nodding my head. "Thanks a lot, Kyu."

"No problem, Champ." Kyu said, smiling. "Now, don't you have a study date to get ready for?"

"…Oh yeah!"

I hastily grabbed a fresh pair of clothes to put on after my shower, and rushed past Kyu to the bathroom to freshen up.

"If Tiffany comes before I'm out, just have her wait in the living room, okay?" I called out to Kyu.

"Will do!" Kyu called back, as I closed the bathroom door. I sighed as I pulled my hot, sweaty clothes off my body and walked into my shower. I let out a short cry as I turned the faucet and was hit by a blast of cold water. I hastily turned the switch the opposite way and sighed in relief as the water began to warm up. For a while, I just stood there, still as a statue, letting the lukewarm water hit my entire body. This was something I recently started doing after a talk with Beli one day while I was in the gym…

 ***Flashback***

 **Wednesday, Fitness Club- Early Afternoon**

"Come on, Charles!" Kyanna yelled in my ear, whilst pushing me on my back. "You can do it!"

"I-I can't!" I yelled, straining myself as I was desperately reaching for my left foot.

"Come on, just a little more!" Kyanna yelled pushing my back even more.

"I can't!" I yelled again, still straining myself to reach my foot.

"Yes, you can!"

"No!" I yelled, finally giving up, as my hands dropped down to my side. "I-I really can't, Kyanna. If I stretch any more than this, my spine is literally going to come out of my back."

"Fine." Kyanna said, sighing as she let go of me, allowing me to fall freely onto the gym floor, giving me a chance to catch my breathe.

After hearing that my classes had been canceled for the day and I didn't have to work until late in the evening time, Kyanna had forced me to get out of the house and head for the gym. I didn't really have much choice in the matter since she threatened to head my apartment herself if I didn't come to the gym within the next half hour. Kyu, who normally would have been all for me talking to girls and such, decided not to accompany me, due to her weird hatred of gyms and exercise.

So, here I was, trying and failing to stretch and contort my entire body with Kyanna acting as my personal trainer.

"You really have to work out more, dude." Kyanna said, lecturing me as she reached down and pulled me up on my feet. "You're never going to get in shape if you don't stretch every day."

"Sorry, but I just started working out recently." I said, rubbing the back of my head, embarrassed. "Besides, you're a lot more flexible than I am."

"Excuses, excuses." Kyanna said, waving me off. "There's never not a good reason for you to work out, champ."

"Yeah, I know." I said, still rubbing the back of my head.

"Kyanna, I sincerely hope you're not giving Charles a hard time." A voice said, making Kyanna and I turn around. We looked as Beli walked into the gym, carrying a gym bag, which I assumed was full of yoga equipment for her class.

"Of course not, Bells!" Kyanna argued. She then hit me hard on the back, making me almost fall over. "Just showing Champ here what happens when he doesn't keep up with a daily training regimen."

"Y-yeah." I said, a bit frazzled.

"Well, try not to work him too hard." Beli warned, though she was smiling. "I need him ready for the yoga class in 20 minutes."

"Yoga class?" I repeated, my spirit dropping as I really just wanted to go home and relax like I was doing before I got roped into this.

"Yes," Beli answered, a worried look on her face. "You'll come, won't you?"

"Umm…"

"Of course he will!" Kyanna said, grabbing me and put her arm around my neck. "We'll both be there! Right champ?"

"R-right…" I stated, even more frazzled than I was before.

 **55 minutes later…**

"All… done…" I said, panting as I had picked up the last mat in the yoga studio. After about thirty minutes of doing stretches and poses, Beli had announced an end to the session, for which I was grateful. I was prepared to leave and head to the locker room for a quick shower, but Beli called me back and asked Kyanna and I to help her straighten up the room before leaving. Kyanna, unfortunately, couldn't be bothered to stay, as she had to hurry and get ready for her job at the mall, which meant I had to do all the work by myself. At first, I didn't think it would take too long, but I seriously underestimated how weak I was feeling and how many people we had in our class today.

"Thank you very much for your help, Charles." Beli said as I placed the last mat on top of the others in a corner of the studio.

"N-no pr-problem." I said, still panting as I pushed my back outward, trying to make it crack, so I could at least try to get some feeling in my body again.

"I know it's not my place to judge, Charles," Beli said, as she looked at me with a hint of concern. "But lately, I've noticed you're feeling a bit fatigued. Not physically, but mentally."

"Mentally?" I repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Beli said, walking up to me. She then grabbed me on the sides of my head and placed her forehead on mine. Her eyes were closed as if she was sensing something inside of me. I felt my face turn red, as my body temperature was steadily increasing.

"Uhh… Beli?" I said, still blushing.

"Shh." She commanded, her eyes still closed as she continued holding my head firmly in place. A whole minute passed before she finally opened her eyes and released my head.

"I was right." She stated.

"Right?" I repeated. "Right about what?"

"Your aura." She answered. "It's very stagnant, meaning it's not in sync with your body."

"Uhhh… is that good?" I asked, not really understanding.

"No Charles, it's not." Beli answered, folding her arms and shaking her head. "You need to relax more. Stress affects not only your body, but also your mind."

"Everyone keeps saying that." I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I don't feel stressed. I feel… fine, really."

"It may seem that way, but stress has a habit of taking over when we least expect it. If you're not careful, you may wind up doing permanent damage to yourself."

"Oh." I said, still rubbing the back of my neck, as I was started to feel awkward, standing here being examined like a piece of meat.

"So, what should I do?"

"Well…" Beli stated. "I'd advise that you meditate more, but I think that would be a bit too much of a dramatic lifestyle change."

"Yeah…" I said. I didn't really know the first thing about meditation. All I knew is from what I picked up from books and T.V. shows. It was something about 'emptying yourself', whatever that meant.

"Instead, try this: next time you are in your shower or bathtub, try standing under the water for a short while." [1]

"…Huh?" I stated, confused.

"I know it may seem a bit out of sorts, but believe me, standing in water during short periods of time really does to help clear your mind and body."

"So… I should do this when I'm bathing or something?" I asked.

"Yes," Beli answered with a nod of her head. "It doesn't have to be long. You can start off with about 30 seconds and gradually work your way up."

"Uhh… okay." I said, looking at the yoga instructor, strangely.

"As I stated, I know it seems a bit out of sorts, but it will help you tremendously." Beli stated before taking my hands in hers. She then looked deeply into my eyes with a serious expression.

"Promise you will give it a try."

"Uhhh… alright, I promise." I stated. Beli continued looking into my eyes, before smiling at me.

"Good, I'm glad." She said, letting go of me. "I look forward to your results, Charles."

"Uhhh… right."

 ***End flashback***

" _At first I didn't think Beli knew what she was talking about,"_ I thought as I rubbed my body with a soapy washcloth.

" _But after doing it for several times, I actually do feel a lot better afterwards."_

I sighed as I let the water rinse all the soap off my body for a few moments before turning the faucet off and wrapping my large bath towel around myself as I stepped out of the shower. I stopped in front of the large mirror in the bathroom and wiped the steam off looking at myself.

"How handsome." I said, sarcastically as I looked at my red eyes and wet hair that was falling into my eyes. I wiped my damp face off with my extra towel, and looked at myself again in the mirror.

"Not too bad, I guess."

I quickly dressed myself, wearing a pair of loose black sweatpants and a gray t-shirt. I opened the bathroom door and looked as all the steam from the shower flowed out of the bathroom and into the hallway. I don't know why, but I chuckled at this, finding it amusing for some strange reason. I prepared to head back to my room, but as I walked past the stairs, I heard a couple of voices. One of them was obviously Kyu's, but the other one sounded foreign; very unfamiliar. It was obviously female, but not one that I heard before

Curiosity got the better of me, as I quietly walked down the stairs to the living room. As I got closer, the voices got louder and more clear.

"…Forget who you're talking to?" Kyu asked, speaking to someone. "I'm Kyu, the #1 love fairy in the universe! I always get results."

"Well, I sincerely hope so, Kyu." The voice said, sternly with a worried feel in it. "I've been reading the reports you've sent in, and I am not happy."

" _Who is this person?"_ I thought, as I crept closer to the living room.

"So far, your client has met and spoken with a number of women, but has yet to have intercourse with any of them." The voice said, speaking. "Usually your clients cease being virgins at the end of the first week."

"Relax, will ya'?" Kyu said. "Charles is making great progress. He's already been on a date today with a shy girl, and he's got another girl coming over in a bit to help him study."

" _Is… is Kyu talking about me?"_

I peered around the corner to the living room, and my eyes grew big and wide as I looked at the person Kyu was talking to.

To say that she was a woman would be a complete understatement. She had to be around 130 lb. and stood about a foot or so taller than me. She had green hair that fell all the way to her thighs, and was adorned with a wreath that looked to be made out of pure gold. Her chest looked to be about the same size as Jessie's, if not more so. Her entire body was spectacular, really. She had wide hips that went nicely with the hourglass figure she had. As for her attire, it looked to be something you'd see in Greece or Rome. It was a red and white robe donned with some gold bracelets and some matching colored laces.

I continued staring at the woman, as she and Kyu continued to converse with one another.

"Well, I suppose its progress if he's actually going out with girls," The woman stated, folding her arms. "But that can only accomplish so much."

"I know, I know." Kyu said, waving the woman off. "I'll try harder, alright?"

"See that you do, Kyu." The woman said, as her body suddenly started growing with yellow energy. "We'll be in touch."

Suddenly, the light enveloped the entire room, blinding me, forcing me to cover my eyes. After a second or two, the light banished and the woman was gone. I was still in shock over what had transpired and I didn't know what to say or do. I must have been standing there for a while or so, since I didn't even notice Kyu when she happened to glance my way, spotting me.

"Champ?" Kyu called out to me, surprised. "Did you…?"

"…Listen to you and your friend?" I asked, answering her question. "Yeah, kinda."

"Seesh, anyone tell you it's rude to eavesdrop?" Kyu asked, rolling her eyes.

"Well sorry," I said, apologizing. "I just heard voices when I was coming out of the bathroom, and I didn't recognize one of them so I came downstairs to see who it was."

"Well, you could have at least introduced yourself. My boss would have changed her tone if she'd had met you, herself."

"Your boss?" I questioned.

"Yup, she was…"

Just as Kyu was about to reveal the name and identity of the mystery woman, the doorbell to the house rang.

"Tiffany!" I yelled out, rushing to the front entrance. I took a deep breath as I dusted off imaginary dirt stains on my t-shirt. I opened the front door to find… a person that was obviously not Tiffany.

"Hi there! It's my honor to be working for the happiness of all mankind!"

"…"

"I've been sent from the good Lord Almighty to bring forth the message of peace and prosperity today!"

"…"

"And it's your good fortune to have been chosen for…"

 **About a minute or so later…**

"Wow Champ," Kyu said, staring at me with a bit of fear and amazement in her eyes as I poured myself a cold glass of water from the kitchen sink.

"I have to say I'm a bit surprised. You're the last person I expected to lose their temper like that."

"Yeah, I know." I said, as I quickly downed my drink, pouring myself another one soon after.

"I also never expected to see such a short, little, fat man like that run so fast in my entire fairy life." Kyu stated looking out the window as the salesman was still running out of the apartment complex.

"I know." I stated again, drinking my second glass of water.

"What did he say to get you so pissed off at him?"

"Nothing." I answered. "I just can't stand those fucking Bible thumpers knocking on my door every week. You'd think after the first few times they would have gotten the message."

Really and truly, I had nothing against people trying to bring people closer to Christ. I was a church-goer, myself, though I admit, I had slacked off a bit since I moved out of my parents' house. The problem I had with these guys is that they didn't know how to take 'no' for an answer. They didn't come every day, but they came around often enough to piss me off.

"Cheer up, Champ." Kyu said, floating over beside me. "You don't want Tiffany to see you with such a sour face, right?"

"Right." I said, almost forgetting why I answered the door in the first place. I sighed as I laid my head down on the table, resting for a bit until the doorbell rang a few seconds later.

"Not again…" I groaned, as I got up from the table.

"Maybe it'll be Tiffany this time?" Kyu asked, though I don't know if she was speaking to me or herself.

"It'd better be." I answered. "If it's another one of those f'ing door greeters, I may need you to hold me back so I don't kill him."

"Will do!" Kyu answered, cheerfully.

I sighed once more, and tried my best to straighten my face up so I didn't appear sour or unfriendly. I cautiously opened the door and looked outside to see a certain cheerleader standing in the entrance.

"Tiffany." I said, a little surprised to see her, though I don't know why.

"Hey! What's shakin', bacon?" Tiffany greeted, happily.

"Uhh… not much." I said, as I moved out of the doorway to let her in. As she walked in, I took a good look at her outfit. Outside of the uniform she always wore and her cheerleader outfit, which I can only vaguely remember since I never went to any of the school's football games or pep rallies, it was rare to see her in anything else.

She was wearing a sleeveless light blue and white plaid vest with some short blue-greenish shorts. She also had on a pair of long grayish boots that were white at the top.

"You look… nice." I said, still in awe of her outfit change.

"Huh?" Tiffany responded before looking down at herself. "Oh. Uhh… thanks. I didn't feel like wearing my uniform, and this was all I had that felt casual."

"Well, it works." I said, scratching the back of my head, awkwardly.

"Thanks." The cheerleader said, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Aww, so cute!" Someone said, grabbing both me and Tiffany by the necks, surprising us both. I looked as a certain love fairy had changed into her human appearance, and was even wearing the dress she had on the night I met her.

"Gah! Kyu!" I yelled, as she was smiling at us.

"H-hey Kyu." Tiffany said, still a bit razzled by the love fairy's sneak attack. "Where'd you come from?"

"Oh, I've always been here." Kyu answered, still smiling. "I just found your interaction too cute to interrupt."

"Kyu!" I yelled again, upset. "Let go of us!"

"Alright, alright." Kyu said, letting go of Tiffany and I, as we both rubbed our sore necks. "Sees, excuse a girl for having some fun."

"You can have all the fun you want." I said, scowling. "Just not at my or my friends' expense."

"Yeah, yeah." Kyu said, waving me off, which only helped to make me more upset. "Well, I'll leave you crazy kids alone now."

"Wait, what?" I said, as Kyu headed for the entrance. "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere important." Kyu said, with a wink. "Chao!"

And with that, the love fairy closed the door, leaving Tiffany and I to stare at the doorway in bewilderment.

" _What are you up to, Kyu?"_ I thought to myself. I was knocked out of my train of thought as Tiffany laughed beside me.

"What's funny?" I asked.

"Nothing, it's just…" Tiffany began. "No matter how many times I meet her, I'll never get over what a free spirit Kyu is."

"Kyu? A free spirit?" I asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you must have thought that once or twice, right?" Tiffany asked. "She's special in her own little way."

"She's special all right," I nodded, my eyebrow still raised. "But I don't know if that's a good thing or not."

"Oh, you!" Tiffany said, hitting my arm. "Come on, let's get to work on your studies."

"R-right." I said, rubbing my arm as I lead my friend up the stairs to my bedroom.

"Hard to believe before Kyu came along, you had this whole place to yourself." Tiffany stated.

"Yeah, I didn't feel like getting a dorm on campus and I was too shy to have roommates, so my mom bought this apartment for me." I explained.

"You're so lucky. I wish I could get a whole apartment to myself."

"It's not all it's cracked up to be. Trust me." I stated as I reached the top of the stairs. "I still had to get a job in order to pay for rent and food, and my parents send me money only sparingly."

"Yeah, but still…" Tiffany said as I turned the doorknob to my room. I felt Tiffany's eyes scan every inch and corner of the room, liking what she saw.

"Wow," She said, as her eyes still scanned the room. "Your room is a lot more organized than mine."

"Thanks," I said, smiling. "When it comes to organization, I believe there's only one rule for it: 'a place for everything, and everything in a place.'

"Ha, that's nice. Mind if I steal it from you?"

"Go right ahead." I said, a grin on my face as I shrugged my shoulders.

"Thanks," Tiffany said, as she walked past my bed, until she stopped spotting something.

"Oohh!" She yelled out loud, as she picked up a certain kitty cat that was sleeping on the bed. "A kitty! That's so cute!"

"You think so?" I said, scratching the back of my head as Momo looked at the newcomer, curiously. If she was aware that her form had been changed, she didn't make any notice of it.

"I do!" Tiffany said, holding the brown-orange cat up, looking at it from all sides. "What's her name?"

"Oh, uhh… Momo."

"Momo!" Tiffany repeated, cooing at the kitten as she scratched her softly behind her ears. Apparently, Momo found this pleasurable as she began softly meowing.

"Aww, so cute!" Tiffany repeated, before looking at me. "You're so lucky. I wish I got to keep a pet at my house."

"Why can't you?" I asked.

"My grandparents," She answered, rolling her eyes. "That can't agree on what kind of pet they want to get." She explained, sitting on my bed as Momo crawled on her lap.

"My grandma would like a cat, but my grandpa doesn't think that cats are 'real pets'."

"Let me guess. He's a dog person?" I asked.

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"My granddad is the same way." I said, rolling my eyes. "He once said, and I quote, 'A dog is truly worthy of being called man's best friend. Anything else is second-rate.'"

"Sounds like he and my grandpa would get along just fine!" Tiffany said, laughing.

"I can imagine!" I said, joining in her laughter.

After a while, we calmed down and joined each other together at my desk table where I usually did my homework.

"All right, ready to get started?" Tiffany said, as she pulled out some notes from her backpack.

"Yup." I said, as my Algebra book and notebook were already on the desk.

"Okay, good." Tiffany said, as she placed a sheet of paper in front of me with at least 10 math problems on it, all covering the topics we had studied this week and the week before.

"Before we get started, would mind solving these real quick? Just so we can see what you understand and what you need help with."

"Uhh… okay." I said, as I was staring at the problems as if they were in a foreign language or something. I'm sure I saw them in my algebra book somewhere, but I couldn't remember where. Truthfully, I was never good at remembering stuff like this. This is one of the main reasons I sucked so much at tests. I could study and study until my heart gave out, but my memory always failed me when it came time to put it in action.

I hesitantly picked up my pencil, and continued staring at problem #1. I tried desperately to remember at least one part of how to solve this particular math problem, but as I stated, my mind went totally blank.

"Charles?" Tiffany called out, knocking me out of my daze. I looked as the cheerleader was staring at me, a worried look on her face.

"You alright? You were staring at the first problem for a while now."

"Oh." I said, before sighing. "Sorry, I guess I don't understand this as well I thought. Even with all the studying and homework I do, I just can't remember how to solve it."

"That's why I'm here to help." Tiffany said, taking the pencil out of my hand, and scooting closer towards me. "Here, I'll show you an easy way that I do it."

"Okay." I said, passing the putting the paper in between us.

"First off, you to look at the second number first." Tiffany explained, writing down the procedure on paper. "Then you have to multiply it by the first number twice, like I explained earlier today, remember?"

"Yeah," I said, recalling what she had told me in the classroom this morning.

"Good. Now…" Tiffany said, jotting down more formulas and numbers on the paper. "…You multiply the answer you got three times, and then divide that answer by two, got it?"

"Got it." I said, my eyes glued to the paper as Tiffany continued to explain.

"After that, you multiply the answer you got by the first number and you'll have your answer."

"Ohh." I said, finally understanding. Work always seemed so much more simpler when you had someone explain it for you.

"You want me to do the next two problems before you do one yourself?" Tiffany asked.

"Sure, if you wouldn't mind." I said.

"Alright then." Tiffany said, as she pointed her pencil to the next problem. "For this one, it's just the same as the first problem. You just multiply…"

 **Several minutes later…**

"Alright, think I'm done." I said, as I passed the sheet of paper over to Tiffany, who was petting Momo whilst she waited for me to finish.

"Alright, let's see how you did." She said, setting Momo down and taking a look at the rest of the problems she had left for me. I swallowed a lump in my throat as her eyes scanned each problem, looking to see if they were worked and answered correctly.

"Not bad, Charles." Tiffany said, as she set the paper down, and picked up her pencil. "You got all except one right."

"Aww." I said, dejected.

"Don't fret, champ." Tiffany said, as she once again scooted over to me. "Missing one out of seven isn't bad. It's just for this problem instead of dividing you have to…"

 **20 minutes later…**

"…Okay, I think you got it nailed down!" Tiffany said, as she checked over the latest problems she had me do. I thought after we had finished with one sheet of problems, we'd be done. But alas, Tiffany was more prepared than I thought as she had produced a new sheet with more problems. I knew complaining wouldn't do any good, especially she was doing all this for my benefit, so I had no choice but to buckle down and get to work.

"Whew, glad that's over." I said, speaking aloud as I leaned in my chair.

"Don't get to relaxed, champ." Tiffany said, as she pulled her notebook out of the bag she had brought, turning to a clean sheet of paper.

"Now that you've got it all memorized, it's time to start the real thing now, don't you think?" She asked.

"Oh… yeah." I said, sighing as I pushed my chair back up to my desk.

"Aw come on, don't fret. We'll only do about half of these and then take a short break, K?"

"Yeah, that'll work." I agreed, turning in my math book to where the homework assignment was.

"This is good, cause now I can get started on mine." Tiffany said, as she scooted over close to me again. "Mind if we share? I forgot my book at home."

"Sure." I said, not really minding how close she was as my was preoccupied with all the math equations I was looking at. Sighing, I picked up my pencil and resumed work.

" _Once more into the fray…"_ I thought to myself.

 **10 minutes later…**

" _Okay, now carry the six by the second number…"_ I thought as I was on my fourth math problem, still calculating away in my head. I cast a sideways glance at Tiffany, who was, absentmindedly, twirling her hair, whilst writing with down on her paper.

" _I wonder if she has to study every night to be good at this or if it just comes naturally to her…"_ I thought, as I turned my attention back to my own paper.

" _Okay, so after that, then we…"_

My concentration was ruined as I heard the doorbell to the house ring.

"Not again…" I thought as I sighed, standing up from my desk.

"Who's that?" Tiffany asked, looking up at me.

"Not sure." I answered, as I walked out of my room, Momo trailing behind me. I sighed yet again as I walked down the stairs to the first floor.

"Wanna make bets that it's another Bible salesman?" I asked, speaking to no one in particular, though Momo 'meowed' in response. I don't know if she was agreeing with me or not, but it was nice that she was listening either way. Sighing, I opened the door… to find a blonde-haired young adult wearing a restaurant uniform carrying several long white boxes in his hands.

"Hello sir, I'm Jared from 'Marco's Pizza'." The man stated. "Your pizza is here."

…

…

…

"…Huh?"

 **Several minutes later…**

"Ohh,, ham and pineapple!" Tiffany stated, as she happily took a slice from the box. "You didn't have to go through all this trouble, Charles! Thanks a lot!"

"…Yeah, no problem." I said, as I looked sorrowfully at my now empty wallet.

At first, I tried to explain that I hadn't ordered any pizza, but apparently, the order came from this apartment and was ordered online saying I'd pay with cash. The order even included the pizzas I usually ordered.

" _Let's see: it couldn't have been me, obviously."_ I thought, rolling my eyes at the thought.

I looked down at Momo, who was amusing herself by playing with some yarn Kyu had bought for her.

" _Momo doesn't know the first thing about a computer. And even if she did, she certainly wouldn't order pizza, considering she can't even eat it."_

I sighed and pinched my eyebrows as there was only person left it could possibly be.

" _I'm going to kill her…"_ I thought as I pictured a certain love fairy laughing at me.

"Charles?"

I was knocked out of my train of thought as Tiffany called out to me.

"You okay? You looked lost in thought."

"Oh, uhh… I'm fine. Sorry." I said, handing to the kitchen cabinet. "You want something to drink?"

"Sure, anything you've got is fine." She answered.

"K."

As I checked the fridge, I frowned as my choices of drinking items was very limited.

" _Note to self: go shopping tomorrow after work."_ I thought before looking back at Tiffany.

"Sorry," I said, apologizing. "Afraid all I've got to drink is apple juice and some light beer." [2]

"Apple juice is fine." Tiffany answered. "I've got to drive back home tonight so I better not risk it with the beer."

"Got it." I said, as I poured both her and myself some juice before heading to the table. "Here."

"Thanks." She said, happily as she took a sip.

"No problem." I said, as I sat down beside her, pulling a slice of pizza from the box, biting into it. As I chewed, my thoughts turned to Kyu, a frown appearing on my face.

" _I really shouldn't be eating this,"_ I thought. _"If I do, Kyu will just use it again to prove that she was right, and I don't want to give her anymore ammunition than I have to."_

I looked down at my half-eaten pizza and shrugged, as I threw the crust into my mouth.

" _Oh well, I'll let it slide just this once."_ I thought. _"Doesn't mean she's not getting a lecture when she gets home, though."_

As I thought on these things, a question appeared in my head, as I swallowed what was left of my pizza.

" _Speaking of which, where exactly did she go? It's not like she has any real reason to leave the house. Is speaking with that weird lady friend of hers again? …Speaking of which, she never did actually tell me who she was."_

"Charles?"

I snapped out of my train of thoughts, as I looked over at Tiffany.

"You okay there? You looked lost in thought."

"Oh, uhh… yeah. I was just thinking." I answered.

"Yeah, I figured. You do that a lot." Tiffany stated, a small smile on her face.

"Is that… bad?" I asked, curious.

"Not really, but you should be careful that you don't do it a lot. Otherwise, you could wind up making a big problem out of something small."

"Yeah, that's a good point." I agreed, nodding.

"Good. So now more thinking for the next 20 minutes or so. Let's just talk!"

"…What about?" I asked.

"I don't know. Anything!" Tiffany answered.

"…Okay." I said, as I tried to think of something to talk about, even though that's exactly what Tiffany was trying to prevent me from doing in the first place. Really and truly, I was never good when it came to small talk. It usually took someone else initiating the conversation for me to start conversing with them.

"Hmm… well, can you tell me what you're in school for?" I asked.

"Oh, that's easy. I'm studying to become a doctor." Tiffany answered.

"A doctor?" I repeated, a bit surprised.

"Well, not so much a doctor. I actually want to be a veterinarian." She explained. "I've always found animals to be much more approachable then humans, and I've always wanted to find a way to take care of them. That's one of the reasons I want to travel overseas someday, so I can find out different ways of caring for animals.

"That's cool." I said, impressed. "I don't know too many people who would choose to take care of animals over people."

"Thanks. It's been my dream since I was young. I've wanted to be one since I first went to the zoo with my… mom." Tiffany said, looking away as she said the last word, as if it brought back painful memories. I knew it was none of my business, so I didn't bother to ask.

"And that made you decide to become a veterinarian?"

"Well, there's a bit more to it, but yeah. When I saw all the animals there and all the people taking care of them, I thought to myself, 'I want to do that too'."

"Ha, that's kinda cute." I said, smiling as I pictured a young Tiffany looking around in amazement and wonder at all of the zoo animals.

"Oh, you!" Tiffany said, as she playfully hit my shoulder.

"Sorry, sorry!" I said, trying to fend her off attack.

"Hey, speaking of the zoo, did I ever tell you about the time my friends and I went there once for a scavenger hunt?"

"A scavenger hunt?" I questioned.

"Yeah, it was my friend Audrey's birthday, right? So, we all had to think of a good present to give her. And if you know her, she is incredibly finicky when it comes to stuff like that. Anyway, I came up with the idea to do a scavenger hunt at the zoo here in Glenberry, because I thought it'd be fun, and give us an excuse to look at the animals. So, we were at the zoo and…

 **Five minutes later…**

"…In the end, we got arrested for trespassing. It was so humiliating riding in the back of a police cruiser. But it was also kinda fun." Tiffany said, finishing her story.

"Wow," I said, as I had listened to her story to the end. "What did your grandparents do?"

"Well aside from giving me a stern talking to and grounding me for about three months, they didn't do much." She answered.

"And what about Audrey?" I asked, curious to know what became of the queen bee.

"Well at first, she swore she'd never speak to me again cause she blamed me for getting her arrested." Tiffany said, rolling her eyes. "But then a week later, she said if I helped her with her homework, she'd consider speaking to me again."

"Yup, that's Audrey alright." I said, causing us both to laugh out loud, before we sat for a minute or two in a comfortable silence.

"This has been nice, hasn't it?" Tiffany asked.

"Yeah, it really has." I answered, thinking back on today's events. First with my date with Nikki, and now studying and talking with Tiffany.

"You know, I kinda envy you a bit." Tiffany stated, making me look up at her shocked.

"Envy me? Why?" I don't know what sort of reason anyone could have to be jealous of me for.

"Well, it's just the fact that you're here, living on your own, away from any rules and such." Tiffany explained. "You basically can do whatever you want without parents or anyone else bothering you."

I blinked and had to try with all my might to stop myself from laughing out loud. Instead, I simply coughed, clearing a lump in my throat.

"Tiffany, despite what you may think, my life isn't as glamorous as it seems." I explained. I waved my hand around, signifying the apartment "I may have this place to myself, but I have to work to keep it or I'll wind up losing it. The rent on this place alone takes a huge chunk out of my paycheck every two weeks. And that's without adding my student loans and such."

"Yeah, but still, I'd like to live you at least once. It must be nice being away from your family and stuff."

"I'd be lying if I said I'm not happy to be away from them, but that doesn't mean I don't miss them from time to time." I explained, thinking back to my family's smiling faces.

"I guess that's one place where we differ at." Tiffany replied.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Well, I know this may seem kinda harsh, but I'd be perfectly fine if I never saw my mother again." Tiffany said, frowning. My eyes grew big and wide as I processed what my friend just said.

"…Really?" I asked, hoping that I may have misheard her or that she was joking in a way.

"Really." Tiffany answered, confirming my fears. "Like I said, it may seem harsh, but that's only cause you've never met my mom. If you had, you'd understand why I said what I said."

"Yeah, but still Tiffany…" I said, trying to get her to understand. "No matter what your mom has said or done, don't you think saying you 'never want to see her again' is going too far?"

"You don't understand, Charles." Tiffany said, her tone and expression completely forlorn. "My mom… she's done something that no child should ever have to know about her parent. What's more, she's still doing it and shows no sign of stopping."

I tried to process in my head what exactly a parent could do to make someone like Tiffany despise them so.

"What exactly did she do to make you hate her so much?" I asked, even though I knew I was treading into dangerous waters.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Tiffany said, looking the other way. I frowned and took a good look at Tiffany, trying to be discreet as possible.

" _She doesn't have any bruises or show any signs of mental disability, so it can't be abuse."_ I thought.

" _Drugs, perhaps? Maybe her mom uses or sells them? …No, as horrible as that seems, I doubt that would cause a child to loathe their parent so, unless she was forcing Tiffany to help her, which I doubt."_

As I continued to think of numerous possibilities, the two of us sat there in an uncomfortable silence until at last Tiffany spoke up, knocking me out of my train of thought.

"Sorry," She apologized. "I didn't mean to ruin our time with something so dumb. I should have never brought it up."

"No, no, it's fine." I said. "I shouldn't have pried in the first place. My bad."

After that, the two of us again found ourselves immersed in a tense silence, with only Momo's mews filling the void.

"…You want to go finish up our homework?" I asked, finding it better to do than sitting around, moping.

"Yeah, that's fine." Tiffany said, smiling a small smile, trying to lift her spirits, though I know she was still feeling upset.

As we stood up from the table and walked back upstairs towards my room (with Momo happily trailing behind us), I found myself thinking only one thing:

" _I really hope Kyu hurries back home…"_

* * *

 **And that's the end of this chapter. Sorry if the ending left you wanting more, or was too depressing. This chapter was supposed to be a lot longer, but I had to cut it in half, because, as usual, life. I know I promised that there would be more 'mature scenes', but I'm afraid you'll have to wait for the next chapter for that. You won't have to wait long, since most of it is already written. Lord say the same, it may be out at the end of the month, but if it's not, then it'll definitely be out sometime in the summer when I'll have more free time.**

 **I'd like to thank everyone who sent me PM's and emails asking how I was doing. Your concern and support is greatly appreciated. I hope you all continue to read, since it's people like who continue to give me the strength to carry on. Until next time!**

 **[1]:** This is actually something I do on a daily basis when I take a shower. It really helps to relax me. Unfortunately, I've only ever managed to get up to 14 seconds before my body can't take the cold or the heat.

 **[2]:** When I wrote this, that was pretty much all that was in my fridge at the moment.


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